


Ghost Encounters of the Hux Kind

by carefulren



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Completed, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sassy Hux, Sassy Kylo, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 08:58:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7216054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carefulren/pseuds/carefulren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kylo purchases an old, abandoned house in order to get away from his family. He just wants the chance to be alone for a while, and he considers this house as the start of his new, isolated freedom. </p><p>Everything is going as smoothly as possible, until it's not. </p><p>Perhaps, Kylo isn't living alone after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Of New Moves, Drafty Windows, and Folded Clothes

The lock resists, but after a few insistent turns and some knob jiggling, Kylo is able to push the rickety door open. Grabbing his luggage, he steps inside the house- ready to start a new chapter of his life where he can bask in the freedom from judgmental assholes. He blindly kicks the door shut with his foot before moving towards the middle of the entryway- dark eyes scanning the old house with raised brows.

 

“Well,” he calls out to the empty house- deep voice echoing against the bare walls as he takes in the condition of his new home.

 

Tiny dust particles dance within the light of the shining sun that is pouring in through the surrounding naked windows. Kylo drops his bags, ignoring the cloud of dust that billows around his feet as he eagerly moves towards the kitchen.

 

Stopping in the kitchen doorway, he mentally notes how the floor and walls appear to be in decent shape. With curious eyes darting around the room, he zeroes in on what appears to be the rusted kitchen sink. He approaches it as his lips pull down into a concerned frown. He had called to have the water and electricity turned on yesterday, but he was told to be cautious because the house hadn’t been in use for quite a long time.  

 

Braving the rusted faucet results in brown, murky water that sputters out for a few moments before clearing away to a weak drizzle of what Kylo hopes is fairly clean water. “Okay,” he draws out under his breath, letting the cool water fall against his hand for a few moments before turning the faucet off and moving away. His eyes briefly fall upon on a door that he assumes leads to the basement, but he ultimately decides that the basement can wait until the house feels more like a home and less like, well-  less like the setting of what could be a potentially terrifying, albeit cliché, horror movie.

 

As he leaves the kitchen, he studies the almost ancient-looking staircase with hesitance before starting up. He’s unbelievably cautious as he takes each step because he’s not fully convinced that these stairs won’t collapse at any given moment. The top step lets out a startling creak as Kylo presses his foot down upon it. He freezes for a few moments before gently pressing his foot down slowly until he is sure that he won’t go plummeting to his death if he puts his full weight on it.

 

Once he’s upstairs, he lets out a huff of relief that has been building in his chest before he walks towards what he assumes is the master bedroom. He nudges the door all the way open and sucks in a sharp breath- wide eyes falling onto the large window with a deep windowsill on the wall to the left. He hurries towards it, quickly swiping the dust away from the windowsill before carefully sitting down upon it. Once he’s sure it will hold his weight, he shifts around until his back hits the wall, and he draws his knees up to his chest. It’s a little cramped, but he’s not going to let his height get in the way of this amazing seat. He presses his head against the wall behind him, rolling his head to the side to look out of the smudged window.

 

Kylo’s eyes lazily dart around the surrounding forest. His realtor wasn’t kidding when she had said that the house was basically in the middle of the woods. It is certainly secluded, but that is Kylo’s goal- to be far away from his family. He had been pushed over his limit when his father brought home a local barista named Sharon just two hours after his announcement that he was gay. Cue a hastened three-month process of searching for somewhere far away to move to in order to get away from his family.

 

Kylo breathes out a noisy sigh as the memories of the last three months replay like a broken record behind his clouded eyes. After a few moments, the sudden blare of his ringtone has him jerking away from his thoughts. He fishes through his coat pockets until his fingers brush against the buzzing phone. Honestly, he is surprised that he even has cellphone service this far out.

 

“Hey,” he says casually into his phone speaker.

 

_“How is it???”_

Rey’s quick question reminds him that he was supposed to call her when he got to his new house. “It certainly has potential,” he answers, pulling the phone away from his ear at the loud shouting coming from the other line. He hears a few grunts before he hears a different voice spit out a sharp “hush”.

 

_“How bad is it?”_

 

Kylo breathes out a low laugh while shaking his head at the concern coloring Poe’s tone. “It’s really not that bad, Poe. It needs work, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” He shifts around on the windowsill, pulling his long, black coat tighter around him as a sudden chill begins to settle within his bones.

 

_“We can help-”_

“No,” Kylo interrupts. He wants to do this by himself. The last few months had been the actual definition of shit, and he just wants a chance to be alone- even if just for a few weeks.

 

“I’ve got it covered, Poe,” he continues. “There’s no need to drive all the way here just to help me,” he adds after a few moments. He hears Poe sigh on the other line before the muffled discussion between Poe, Rey, and what sounds like Finn commences despite still being on the phone with him. He huffs out a light laugh at the sound of his friends bickering- only to have his amused expression drop into one of confusion as he studies the puffs of icy air forming in front of him from his breaths. It is only then that he fully notices the shivers wracking his body. He wraps his free arm around his knees, pulling them tighter against his chest in a further attempt to get warm.

 

_“Kylo?”_

“W-what?” Shit- he had apparently zoned out and completely missed whatever Poe was saying. Granted, he feels like the sudden sensation of sitting in an icebox warrants a zone out.

 

_“You okay, man?”_

 

He inhales and exhales slowly, willing his voice and limbs to stop shaking like a goddamn newborn deer. “I’m good,” he replies- satisfied with the sudden strength that flows from his voice. “Just realized I’m gonna have to work on these windows because it’s pretty drafty in the house,” he adds quietly as he traces his fingers along the edges of the window, searching for any gaps or the like. He listens to more muttered discussion on the other line before he hears Poe sigh once more.

 

_“Are you sure you don’t want our help? We really don’t mind.”_

Kylo’s lips curve up into a soft smile. He’s really not sure what he has ever done to deserve the friends he has. He’s fully aware that he’s an asshole who is quick to anger, and yet these three stick by his side no matter what.

 

“I’m sure. I’ll keep you guys updated, and you will get an invite once I give this house some life,” he assures the three as his eyes fall upon the moving truck making its way up the gravel driveway. “Anyway,” he starts again, “the movers are here, so I’ve gotta go.”

 

_“Will you call us later tonight?”_

Rey again- her normally chipper voice is now soft and somber.

 

“Of course,” Kylo answers before saying his goodbyes to his friends. Snapping his phone shut, he slides off of the windowsill, tossing his arms up into the air as he arches his back into a stretch- the intense cold he had just been feeling already lost within the whirlwind of mental notes on where all of his furniture is going go. The next few hours are going to be long and tiring.

 

*****

 

Five hours later, and the house is looking more like a house and less like an abandoned shack. The movers were kind enough to stay and help him with the bulk of the furniture, and Kylo tipped them well because he honestly wasn’t sure how he was going to get his bed up those rickety steps by himself.

 

In the hours spent moving furniture, day had quickly shifted to night. Kylo groans at the thought of the long day of cleaning and unpacking he has to do tomorrow. He scarfs down a quick PB&J before grabbing a towel and his toiletries out of one of the boxes with “bathroom” hastily scribbled on the side.

 

The upstairs bathroom appears to be cleaner than the downstairs one, so he opts to test the upstairs one out- that and because he is 99% sure he saw a spider in the downstairs bathtub. He isn’t afraid of spiders, but the thought of showering with one or more is not appealing in the slightest.  

 

He strips, tossing his clothes on the tiled floor before stepping into the shower that doubles as a bath. The faucet knobs are quite hard to turn, but once he gets them going, they cooperate and offer a fairly decent amount of water pressure. He waits for the murky brown water spewing out to turn clean before pulling up the knob that turns on the shower.

 

The water is surprisingly warmer than he had anticipated, and it helps fend off the chill that seems to be covering the bathroom rapidly. Kylo curses quietly to himself while making a mental to-do list in his head as he washes himself, putting “fix windows” at the top because like hell he is going to live with windows that don’t know how to do their damn job.

 

After fifteen minutes of intense scrubbing and washing, Kylo feels that he has finally cleaned off all of the sweat and dirt of the last two days off of him. He turns the water off, blinking against the steam covering the room. Wrapping his towel around his waist, he shuffles towards the steam-covered mirror, swiping his hand against it to reveal his face. Damn, he really looks like shit if the dark bags under his eyes have any say in it. He had been running non-stop for the last three days with the abrupt packing, driving the four hours it took to get to his new house, and moving shit around. His current appearance is to be expected.

 

The move had been a quick event after he had realized that he had enough in his savings to afford this house outright. The fact that the house was that cheap should have been a warning sign, but Kylo honestly didn’t care at the time. He just wanted to leave as fast as humanly possible. His mother and father had tried countless times to stop him, but one of his biggest strengths as well as biggest weaknesses is his stubbornness. Once he sets his mind to something, he doesn’t let up- and that’s what had happened with this move. The want to move had been present for a few months, and finding this affordable house had sealed the deal for him.  

 

He combs his fingers through his loose, dripping hair before turning to grab his clothes off the floor. His eyes narrow as he scans the bare floor- emphasis on ‘bare’ because his clothes aren’t where he could have sworn he put them. “What the fuck,” he mutters to himself as he turns back to the mirror- narrow eyes widening as he snaps his head to the side to see his clothes folded and sitting atop the closed toilet seat.

 

“What the fuck,” he breathes out again as he drops his hand on top of the folded pile of clothes. The fabric of his shirt is surprisingly cool against his palm considering the fact that the shower steam has warmed the bathroom considerably.

 

Kylo is pretty sure he had read online once that limited sleep affects your memory, and that’s hopefully what’s currently happening to him. It’s simple, he assures himself- he had thought that he had thrown his clothes on the floor, but apparently he had folded them. He brushes the twisted feeling in his stomach aside- he is simply aggressively exhausted. That’s all.  

 

Shaking his head, he grabs his clothes with one hand while keeping hold of the towel wrapped around his waist with the other hand. He needs to get to sleep soon before he completely loses his mind.

 

*****

 

_“Hey!”_

Kylo flops down on his newly made bed as Rey chirps into his ear. “Hey yourself,” he replies, swapping the phone to speaker.

 

_“Did all of your furniture come in in one piece?”_

 

“Yea,” he answers, fiddling with a loose string on his comforter. “The movers stayed and helped me get all of the heavy furniture inside and where I wanted it to be.”

 

_“Oh? I thought the proud Kylo Ren didn’t want any help?”_

 

Kylo scoffs at Finn’s loud voice erupting from his small phone speaker. “Yea, well, I didn’t wanna die trying to get my mattress up the stairs by myself.”

 

_“Oh, gee! If only you had some friends that would have been kind enough to help you do all this for free!”_

“Shut it, Finn,” Kylo bites out through a yawn. “I’m not gonna drag your sorry ass out here. You’d probably complain the whole time.”

 

_“You asshole!”_

Kylo lets out a tired laugh as he listens to his three friends bicker before Poe’s smooth voice takes charge.

 

_“You sound exhausted, man.”_

“Yea, three days with about eight hours of sleep total will do that to you. I’m borderline delirious- I thought I tossed my clothes on the floor earlier, but I had apparently folded them and didn’t remember.” Kylo studies the cracked ceiling with piercing eyes as laughter resonates from the other line.

 

_“Kylo Ren fold clothes? Yea, right! You got a ghost who’s cleaning up after you, man! That’s hilarious!”_

Kylo glares at his phone- Finn and his Finn-like ways are not things that he’s going to miss seeing every day. “Oh, and I’ll make sure to tell my ghost to kick your sorry ass when you come to visit, Finn,” he spits out before shifting around in his bed until he’s completely under the covers in the hopes of easing the shivers that are once again taking over his body. Goddamn windows.

 

He can hear Poe regain order amongst the three of them. _“Alright. Finn and I are gonna go ahead and get off here, but Rey wants to talk to you for a few more minutes.”_

 

Kylo says his goodbyes to Poe and Finn, waiting until it is silent on the other end. He bites at his bottom lip as he waits for Rey to say something. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, he begins to grow anxious and worried. “Rey?”

 

_“I talked to Luke today.”_

“Oh, yea? How’s he doing?”

 

_“He’s fine. Leia and Han aren’t, though.”_

Kylo pulls his blankets up and over his head, covering himself in darkness. “Rey-”

 

_“You need to at least call them. They are worried about you. I mean Christ, Kylo- you just up and left without really any warning. I know you and your cold, dark heart hate them, but-”_

“Enough, Rey.” Kylo interrupts with a sharp voice. “It takes two people to call. I haven’t called, but neither have they. When I said I wanted space, I fucking meant it.” He closes his eyes at the silence he is greeted with on the other line. None of this is Rey’s fault in the slightest, and yet he is lashing out at her as if it is. He takes a few deep breaths, willing the anger coursing through his body to die down. “I’m sorry,” he whispers after he feels that he’s calm enough to talk like a civilized human. “It’s been a long day, and I’m beyond cranky apparently.”

 

_“I know. I’m sorry, too. I’m just worried about you.”_

Kylo massages his temples in the hopes of warding off his building headache. “I’m fine, Rey. I promise. You will be the first person I tell if I’m not, and I know that you know that. So, trust me. I’m fine.”

 

He hears Rey draw out a long sigh. _“Okay. I’ll let you get to sleep, but you better call me tomorrow!”_

 

The corners of his lips creep up into a smile at the sound of the familiar color returning to Rey’s voice. “Yes, mom,” he mumbles before saying his goodbyes.

 

Exhaustion grips tightly at him as he ends the call. He pulls the covers away from his face, blinking against the bright light of the room. He glances lazily at the light switch on the other side of the room as his eyelids grow heavy. He gives a half-ass thought about how he should really turn the lights off before pulling his blankets tighter around his shivering form as he succumbs to the sleep tugging aggressively at him.


	2. Of Surprise Guests, Clean Houses, and Washed Dishes

Kylo jolts awake at the sound of his ringtone pounding throughout his room. Blinking rapidly, he tries to clear his blurry vision as he scans his room for the fucking phone that so rudely pulled him away from a much-needed slumber. After a few moments, he spots the small device buzzing atop his computer desk on the other side of the room. He gets out his bed on wobbly legs and stumbles across the room until he reaches his phone- that, upon closer investigation, is apparently plugged up to his charger. He tilts his head as he watches the small phone spin in little circles on the desk, and he squints his eyes as he mentally searches for any memory of him plugging his phone up before he went to sleep last night.

 

His phone finally stops ringing, and the silence gives him a chance to really rack his tired brain for the events of the previous night. He remembers talking on the phone. After that, he tries to piece the scenario of getting out of bed to plug his phone up in his head, but it doesn’t fit. He remembers being tired and freezing- that’s it.

 

Before concern and confusion have the chance to really flare up in his head, his phone starts ringing again, and he grabs it, unplugging it from the charger and flipping it open. “What,” he growls- voice thick and rough from sleep.  

 

_“Come open your goddamn door, Kylo! Jesus! It’s cold out here, dude!”_

Kylo pulls his phone away from his ear and squints at it. He’s starting to think that he’s still dreaming, but the loud shout of his name erupting from his phone has him running towards his window- eyes widening as he takes in the sight of Rey, Finn, and Poe standing at his front door. He presses the phone back against his ear, mumbling a confused “what the fuck” into the small speaker- it’s the only coherent phrase he can manage after being ripped away from sleep.

 

_“Door! Now, Kylo Ren!”_

 

Kylo spins quickly on his heel and races out of his room towards the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. He stumbles a few times but makes it to the front door in one piece. He fumbles with the locks before jerking the door open, gawking at his three friends who look way too awake and happy considering they just drove four hours to get here.

 

“Finally!” Finn shouts, shoving his way past Kylo to get into the house. Rey and Poe follow close behind, and Kylo’s initial shock at the sight of them quickly shifts into annoyance as his eyes narrow into a glare.  

 

“This place needs some serious TLC,” Finn says.

 

“Why are you here,” Kylo questions harshly- and if there is one thing he loves about his voice, it’s how deep and menacing he can make it sound at any given time. It’s even better right now considering he still has a bit of morning voice going on. And a deep and menacing voice is needed for these three because he doesn’t understand why they are here. He had told them that he was fine yesterday.

 

After a few seconds without an answer, he moves around until he’s standing in front of the three, who are talking amongst themselves while pointing towards different areas of the house.

 

“Because you asked us to come,” Rey finally replies as she bounces on the balls of her feet.

 

“I didn’t-” Kylo starts- only to have his words get cut off by a phone being shoved at his face. He snatches Rey’s phone out of her hands- eyes scanning over the text that was apparently sent from his phone to Rey’s phone around 3:30 a.m.

 

“Please come help me clean and unpack tomorrow.” Kylo’s brows furrow as he reads the text aloud, mentally noting how the text doesn’t even sound like him. He silently reads it over and over again as his heart begins to hammer against his chest. He then flips open his own phone that he is still clutching in his other hand, clicking away until he reaches his text conversation with Rey. He sucks in a sharp breath between clenched teeth as his eyes dart across the same text on his phone.

 

“Kylo?”

 

Kylo shifts his glance from the phone to Poe, who is approaching him while sporting a worried expression. “I didn’t send this,” Kylo whispers as he feels Poe’s hand land on his bare shoulder.

 

“You sleep text all the time,” Finn notes before moving away to examine one of the windows in the open living room.

 

Kylo chomps down on his bottom lip- Finn’s not wrong. He has sent texts while in his sleep multiple times, and some of them had even come out with fairly coherent text. However, this one just doesn’t feel right. His phone was across the room, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t remember getting up, getting his charger out of a moving box, sending a text, and plugging his phone up before going back to bed. Even with how exhausted he had been last night, he feels that he would remember that much at least.

 

“Or your ghost sent the text,” Finn adds with a laugh as he moves on to a different window.

 

Kylo rakes his fingers through his messy hair. He takes in a shaky breath, counts to seven, then releases it slowly in an attempt to push the uneasy feeling that is building up in his stomach aside. He tells himself that he woke up, sent the text, plugged up his phone, and that’s that.

 

“You better watch your back, or my ghost will kick your ass, Finn,” Kylo finally spits back as his lips twitch up into a smirk.

 

“Yea, yea,” Finn starts, “go put some clothes on so we can get this going.”

 

Kylo glances down at his attire- or lack thereof. He has a pair of boxers on, and that’s it. He vaguely remembers being too tired to look for actual clothes last night, and he remembers suffering for it as the memories of the cold that had seeped into his body come back in small bursts. He shivers at the thought as he crosses his arms against his bare chest.

 

“Go get dressed,” Poe tells him with a pat on the shoulder. “Finn and I will start trying to find problem spots on the windows while Rey gets the cleaning supplies we brought out of the car.”

 

Kylo nods, turning towards the stairs. Once upstairs, he makes a beeline for his bedroom, searching through a few boxes until he finds a pair of dark gray sweats and a plain, short-sleeved black shirt. With the clothes draped over his arm, he turns away from the boxes- eyes lingering on the phone charger. He shakes his head and tosses his phone on his unkempt bed as he makes his way into the bathroom.

 

The cold water he splashes against his face only intensifies the lingering chill from the night before; however, it also further wakes him up- which he so desperately needs. Despite trying to write off all of the recent, mysterious occurrences as shit he did while half-asleep, he can’t seem to shake the worry and uneasiness flowing throughout his body. He knows that he can easily put on a smile and act as if nothing is wrong in front of his friends, and as a bit of a realist, he knows that there’s indeed probably nothing wrong- it has to be the lack of sleep. He had slept hard last night; however, it appears it was not enough to make up for three days of running himself ragged. He makes a mental note to relax for the rest of the day after he finishes cleaning and unpacking- he needs it.

 

Kylo dries his face, scowling at the tired features reflecting back at him through the mirror. He will get back on track once he gets settled- he knows it. He just has to get through this last push, and for the first time since his friends have arrived, he’s grateful that they are here to help him- even if he doesn’t remember asking them to come. The house is pretty big, and it would take the whole day to just clean if he were doing it by himself. With the extra hands, they could probably finish everything by late afternoon.

 

He slips his clothes on, tying his hair up into a messy bun that rests on the top of his head before heading back downstairs. Rey is waiting, greeting him with a beaming smile that has him curling his lips up into a soft grin. He didn’t realize how much he would miss these three- it has only been a couple of days, but until his move, they were usually glued at the hips. They had made a pact freshman year of high school to never separate from each other, and Kylo hates that he’s the one who broke the pact. But living with a father who will probably never accept him as gay was something he just could not deal with. And simply moving out wasn’t enough- he needed to leave the city. The few months leading up to his move had been filled with Han either ignoring his existence or scowling at him anytime he walked by like he was the most disgusting specimen to ever cross his path. It was like the feeling of not being wanted multiplied by ten.

 

“You’re spacing out again.”

 

Kylo blinks a few times before focusing on Rey, who is standing before him with a frown.

 

“I’m starting to think that you aren’t as okay as you made it seem on the phone last night.”

 

Kylo’s eyes dart around Rey’s face before he suddenly grabs her arm, pulling her into a hug.

 

“Okay, who the hell are you, and what did you do with Kylo Ren?” Rey asks- voice muffled against Kylo’s shoulder.

 

“Shut up and enjoy this while it lasts,” Kylo mutters through a low laugh. “I appreciate you guys coming,” he adds on a more serious note. “I’m sorry I didn’t open up with that when you guys first came in.”

 

He lets Rey go, and he can’t prevent the smile that is tugging at his lips as Rey flashes him a toothy grin.

 

“We forgive you,” she says, thrusting a broom into his hand. “Now cut with the sap- we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

 

Kylo grips the broom handle and gives her a nod, allowing her to take charge and give orders.

 

*****

 

Six hours later, and the four are sprawled out on Kylo’s bedroom floor. They had worked tirelessly with only one, quick lunch break, and the results are astonishing. It’s almost as if the house he had walked into yesterday no longer exists. Instead, he’s going to be living in a clean house decorated in pictures of memories and paintings from his art phase in high school. He didn’t want to hang them up, but Rey insisted- telling him that he’s better at painting than he thinks he is. He also gave the house a modern boost, introducing it to the beauty that is WiFi- and he’s really going to have to send Rey chocolates or something for thinking to call and schedule an appointment to get his WiFi set up while she, Poe, and Finn were on their way over.

 

“Oh, yea, I meant to mention this earlier,” Poe starts, rolling onto his side so he can better see Kylo. “You mentioned drafts from the windows when we talked yesterday, right?”

 

Kylo, feeling too lazy to actually move, rolls his head to the side until he can see a tiny bit of Poe’s face through half-closed eyes. “Yea, why?”

 

“The house is old, but the windows appear to be in solid shape. Finn and I didn’t find any gaps or anything that would cause drafts.”

 

Kylo sits up abruptly, taking in Poe’s questioning gaze with his own surprised one. “Really?” He asks- voice laced with disbelief.

 

“Yea, man,” Finn chimes in, “we were pretty thorough, but they are solid.”

 

“Even the upstairs bathroom window?” Kylo can feel his pulse quickening, and he gnaws lightly at his bottom lip as he waits for an answer.

 

“Yea, man. Every window was dirty but solid,” Finn answers.

 

Kylo stands and moves towards the large window with the deep windowsill. He examines it and realizes that Poe and Finn are right- the window seems practically brand new, especially now that it’s been cleaned. He places his hand against the glass- his mind racing a mile a minute.

 

A sudden, cool palm pressing against his forehead has him jerking away from his frantic thoughts. He glances to the side to see Poe standing there shooting yet another worried look towards him before dropping his hand back to his side.

 

“You don’t feel feverish,” Poe admits, and Kylo raises his eyebrows at him, prompting him to elaborate.

 

“You mentioned drafts on the phone yesterday, and I couldn’t help but wonder if you maybe had a fever or something,” Poe adds with a shrug.

 

Kylo turns around and plops down onto the windowsill. He leans forward and drops his face into his hands. He’s actually starting to think that he’s losing his mind, and it’s only been almost two days in the new house. He doesn’t want to tell them this, though. The last thing he wants to do is make his friends think that he can’t handle this.

 

“Now that you mention it, I wasn’t feeling so hot yesterday,” Kylo lies easily, earning sympathetic glances from the trio before him.

 

“Then we should get out of your hair so you can rest,” Poe decides, and Rey and Finn nod in agreement. “I’m sure your body is just rejecting the lack of sleep.”

 

“You’re probably right,” Kylo agrees as he stands up. He hates to say goodbye to his friends so soon, but he knows that they have a four-hour drive back home. He would tell them to stay the night, but he knows that Poe and Rey have work that they can’t miss.

 

Kylo walks them to the front door- hand hovering over the doorknob as the trio gathers around him. “I really can’t thank you guys enough for coming to help.”

 

“You ought to be thanking your sleeping version for realizing that you would need help with all this,” Finn says, jabbing Kylo in the side with his elbow. “You were probably having nightmares about the amount of work you would have to do, and your sleeping version decided that enough was enough. Well, it could also be your ghost panicking, thinking he or she would have to live in this dirty house forever.”

 

Goddamn Finn and his goddamn ghost business. “Get out of my house,” Kylo replies flatly, pulling the door open and ushering the three, who are now giggling, outside.

 

“We’ll call you when we get back,” Poe says over his shoulder.

 

Kylo calls out a few more goodbyes as the three load up into Poe’s car. He promptly flicks off the car upon hearing the distant shouts of “tell your ghost I said hi” from Finn. 

 

He closes the door as the car drives out of sight and rubs gingerly at his bare arms in an attempt to warm them up from the cold, outside air before redoing the two locks on the door. Turning on his heel until he’s facing his now clean house, he presses his back against the door and lets out a low sigh as he takes in his house that certainly looks more like a home. He glances at the large clock hanging on his living room wall and sees that it’s approaching dinner time. His stomach chooses that exact moment to let out a deep grumble, and he shuffles to the kitchen to see what he can come up with from his limited food supply. The grocery store can wait one more day.

 

Two PB&Js and a Netflix movie later, and Kylo is starting to feel the events of the day taking toll on his body that, he remembers, is still suffering from sleep deprivation. He takes his plate and cup and places them in the kitchen sink before he starts towards the stairs to take a shower.

 

*****

 

Rubbing lightly at his wet hair with the towel draped around his bare shoulders, Kylo makes his way back downstairs. He had spent longer than he would ever like to admit in the shower; however, the hot water was doing wonders on his tired, aching body, and he wanted to soak up as much as he could.

 

He feels utterly relaxed for the first time since he’s been here, and he wants to grab a glass of water before heading to bed with no plans on waking up early. He approaches the entrance to the kitchen, halting mid-step as the chill in the air quickly clings to his skin. His heart begins to thud rapidly against his chest as he cautiously steps through the doorway, wrapping his arms tightly around himself as his whole body begins to shake. He glances around as he takes trembling steps forward- everything seems to be in order. Until, it’s not.

 

Kylo’s eyes go wide enough to bulge out of his head, and he breathes in a sharp gasp between chattering teeth as he notices the cup and plate he had used earlier now washed and placed in the dish rack by the sink. He knows he did not wash those- he perfectly remembers placing the two dishes in the sink before taking his shower. What the fuck is going on?

 

He bites down on his lower lip as his shivering intensifies. He racks his mind for what to do because clearly someone is in his house with him. He should call the police- only, he isn’t sure how telling the cops that someone washed his dishes for him would go over. He could call Rey or Poe, but he isn’t going to want them speeding back over here to stay with him. Think, he mentally tells himself. He isn’t one for the brightest of ideas, but surely he could come up with something.

 

“W-who’s here?” Perhaps not the best idea- okay it’s definitely the stupidest idea he could have come up with. But, hell, they do it in the movies, so why not. He’s either asking for the identity of a supernatural entity that isn’t supposed to exist or a killer who highly values cleanliness. Either way, he figures that discovering the identity can help him with whatever he’s dealing with.

 

As expected, he does not get a response; however, the room slowly begins to warm up over time, and he takes that as a sign that whatever or whoever was there is no longer there. Nevertheless, he bolts out of the kitchen and races to the stairs, taking the steps three at a time while silently thanking the height within his family until he reaches the safety of his bedroom.

 

He presses his back against his bedroom door- chest heaving as his eyes zero in on the deep windowsill. “Shit,” he breathes out in between gasps, recalling how cold he had been sitting there yesterday. He then glances to his bed- taking it in as another culprit of the intense chill that seems to be related to whatever the fuck is going on. “Fucking hell,” he spits out, grabbing his blanket, pillow, and phone off of the bed before storming out of his bedroom.

 

On his way to the living room couch, he shuts the kitchen door. Better to be safe than sorry- though, he isn’t really sure what is safe anymore. Granted, he’s not hurt- actually all he has is clean dishes that need to be put away. However, that doesn’t change the fact that someone or something is in his fucking house even though he’s supposed to be alone.

 

He wraps the blanket tightly around his body before pressing the button that will speed dial Rey.

 

_“Miss me already?”_

Kylo closes his eyes as the sound of her voice wraps around him like a constant he never realized he desperately needed. “Nope,” he starts, doing his best to not sound like a frightened child. “I just wanted to make sure that the peanut gallery got home okay.”

 

_“Ha, ha. We got home just fine- thanks for asking.”_

“Good,” he answers quietly. The two go silent for a few minutes until Rey interrupts.

 

_“Are you okay?”_

No, he wants to say. No because there is someone who isn’t supposed to be here doing house chores in his house, and he’s honestly beyond freaked out right now and unsure of what to do. “Just tired,” he says instead.

 

_“Get some sleep, Kylo.”_

He tells Rey okay and listens as the other line cuts off shortly after. He falls back against his pillow, squeezing his eyes shut as he desperately waits for sleep to take over.


	3. Of Bleeding Cuts, New Friends, and Ghost Chatting

Kylo hadn’t gotten a goddamn wink of sleep. He had spent a few hours tossing and turning, but the fear that seemed to have taken over his body had kept him awake- anytime he had closed his eyes, he had vivid visions of someone sneaking up on him. If he wasn’t shivering intensely, he was glancing around in the dark after hearing a strange noise.

 

Around two a.m., he had gotten up to grab his laptop out of his room, and he’s been on it ever since. If the rising sun is any indicator, he knows that he’s been researching what’s been happening in his house for a long ass time. The fear he had previously felt has long since shifted into anger- he’s fucking tired. Honestly, he just wants to sleep for a long fucking time, but it’s a little hard to sleep when weird shit is going down in your house.

 

The sound of birds chirping has him setting his laptop onto his coffee table. The only decent piece of information he had found from his hours of research was that according to “supernatural experts,” sudden cold sensations are often a sign that a supernatural being is present. It sounds like a load of shit to him, but the setting fits- old, creepy house that hasn’t had an owner for longer than a year in long ass time. Maybe Finn is right- maybe there is a ghost haunting his house. But, Kylo has already decided that this ghost is not going to kick him out. Hell, if the fucker wants to keep on doing house chores for him, then so be it.

 

He shuffles into the kitchen with full intentions of making the biggest cup of coffee he can manage- he’s going to need it if he’s planning on spending the day trying to chase a ghost out of his house.

 

A soft clicking noise has him twirling around to face the basement door. He realizes that he hasn’t gone down there yet, and with a new burst of determination, he storms towards the door, ripping it open with a force that he knows can only be the result of an adrenaline rush.

 

The wave of cold air that hits him is enough to have him staggering backwards. This seems different- the cold he’s felt many times before was annoying yet bearable, but this time, he’s been reduced to gasping for breath as his muscles throb from the rapid shivering taking over his body. He contemplates just shutting the door so he doesn’t die, but the thought of more long nights lying awake has him clenching his jaw and pushing forward on wobbly legs.

 

He takes the steps leading into the basement one at a time, and the further down he goes, the colder it gets. When he reaches the bottom, he starts to regret his decision once he fully realizes how hard it is breathe properly down here- each gasping breath in feels like icy daggers piercing his lungs. The only light he has is the light filtering down from the kitchen- it’s not much, but it’s enough for Kylo to make out his surroundings. He sees what looks like old dining chairs covered by dusty blankets. Shoving a few aside, he moves further back into the basement, ignoring the fact that his mind is growing hazier with each shaky step.

 

He has to squint to make it out properly, but he believes that there’s a covered paining on an easel pushed up against the back wall. Blinking slowly, he staggers towards it, reaching his hand out to pull the blanket away from the painting- only to jerk his hand back as something cool and sharp scrapes down his bare arm. 

 

“Fuck,” he hisses through chattering teeth as he crashes into things trying to get out of the basement as fast as possible. He stumbles back up the steps, clutching his injured arm to his chest. Once he reaches the top, he staggers forward before his legs give out. Crashing to the floor, he lands hard on his side. He uses his last bit of energy to kick the basement door closed before he allows his head to drop against the hard, tiled floor. He squeezes his eyes shut as long, strong shivers flow throughout his body. While keeping a firm grip on his bleeding arm, he focuses on taking in deep, steady breaths.

 

Minutes that feel like hours pass, but after a while, he starts to feel more like a human and less like a fucking popsicle. He can feel what little energy he still has slowly building back up, and he pries his eyes open as he shifts into a sitting position. Wincing, he lifts his arm to study the cut- it’s really not that deep. He probably isn’t going to need stitches- a few Band-Aids should do the trick once he cleans it.

 

He shifts his gaze back to the basement door- coming to the conclusion that whatever has been haunting him apparently lives in there. The ‘house chore’ ghost has officially turned into the ‘violent’ ghost. He glances back down to the small pool of blood on the floor beside him. “Fuck,” he draws out as he pushes up off the floor on shaky legs. He needs- well, he doesn’t know what he needs actually. But, he does really needs to do something about his arm right this second. He shuffles out of the kitchen on heavy legs. He’s going to take shower set as hot as it will go, and he’s going to clean his wound- yea, he tells himself, that’s what he will do for now.

 

*****

 

He guesses he had spent about an hour in the upstairs bathroom. The shower helped get his body temperature back up to normal, and he managed to clean the cut on his arm gingerly before wrapping it in a gauze- gauze he didn’t even know he owned. He can only assume that Rey or Poe snuck it in the bathroom while cleaning it yesterday.

 

Yesterday- it feels like it’s been years since Rey, Poe and Finn left. He contemplates calling them and telling them everything, but that pesky stubborn characteristic keeps poking at the back of his mind. He can handle this- sure he got hurt today, but after studying it further, the wound doesn’t seem like it was made with any intentions of killing. Nevertheless, he’s pissed about it.

 

Making his way back downstairs and towards the kitchen, he halts in the doorway. The blood has been cleaned up- there’s not a single drop left. The entire kitchen floor looks spotless. Kylo leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms as he lets out a low sigh. “So,” he starts, “you cut me then feel bad and clean up the mess?” He waits with raised brows for any sign that someone is there, but he’s met with silence. “Figures,” he mutters under his breath as he starts towards the front door, grabbing his coat and car keys. He realizes that he’s going to need to try and come up with a new method of communication with this fucking ghost since talking doesn’t appear to work. He also realizes that he needs groceries desperately- and possibly sleeping pills.

 

He twists the locks on his door, pulling it open and stepping out into the brisk fall air. He sucks in a deep breath, relishing in the fresh breeze that brushes around his tired body for a few moments before relocking his door and starting towards his truck. He’s got about an hour’s drive to the closest city.

 

*****

 

The hour’s drive to actual civilization gave Kylo the chance to really ponder everything that has happened in the last two days- it also gave the lack of sleep a chance to fully catch up to his body, leaving him feeling more tired and extremely pissed off. He had managed to make it through the grocery store without ripping any heads off, but now, at the mall, he’s sitting hunched over in his truck with his forehead pressed against the steering wheel. His mind is telling him to get the fuck up, but his body is struggling to oblige.

 

Forcing his body to move, he finally climbs out of his truck, eyeing his surroundings wearily as groups of people bustle about in the parking garage. He could’ve skipped the mall, but he really wants to try and find a book or something on how to communicate with ghosts- as lame as that sounds. He would go to the library, but that would require him knowing where the library is. He had only looked up the locations of the places that he thought he definitely needed to know before moving here. But, he makes a quick mental note to figure out where the library is sometime after he gets rid of this damn ghost.

 

He makes his way into the big building, using the idea of being able to sleep later thanks to the sleeping pills he purchased at the grocery store pharmacy as his motivation. Ghost or not- he is going to sleep tonight.

 

After about an hour of browsing various stores, he finds something that has his metaphorical light bulb lighting up above his head. He snatches it up and quickly makes his way to the check-out, ignoring the judgmental glances he’s receiving from mothers who are dragging their children away from him. He gets in line- foot tapping rapidly as he drums his fingers against the box he’s holding. It takes another five minutes before he hears a bored “next” coming from the cashier.

 

He scurries up to the cashier, slamming the box down on the conveyor belt. He starts fishing around in his pockets for his wallet when the sound of a light laugh as him freezing in place. Slowly, he lifts his head to lock eyes with the cashier’s.

 

“What,” he questions with a dark tone.

 

“Sorry,” the cashier starts, “it’s just- a Ouija Board? Really?”

 

Kylo can feel all of his pent up anger bursting in waves throughout his body. He grabs a twenty out of his wallet before leaning forward, closing some of the distance between he and the cashier. “Look,” he starts, keeping his voice low, “I’ve got some asshole ghost who thinks it can just fold my clothes, wash my dishes, or send texts from my phone whenever it fucking pleases living in my house. It fucking makes my house feel like the inside of a goddamn igloo, and the icing on the cake? The fucker cut me this morning.” He lifts his arm, shoving his coat sleeve up to show the cashier the tightly wrapped gauze that’s stained red. “So, I need to find a way to help it pass over or whatever it is that ghosts do, so I can get some goddamn sleep before I actually drop dead.” He slaps the twenty down on the counter in front of the cashier. “Now, if you could just ring this up without all the goddamn judgement, I’d really fucking appreciate it.”

 

He watches with narrow eyes as the cashier reaches over and clicks the check-out light off. “What are you doing?”

  
“My lunch break is about to start, and that story was just too good to leave at that.”

 

Kylo breathes out a low sigh- the sudden realization that he has just told this stranger everything that has been happening to him over the last two days is settling heavily over him. With that noted, he can’t help but feel oddly relieved to get this off of his chest, and he’s starting to think that maybe talking it over with a stranger might not be such a bad idea.

 

“Will you join me for lunch, uh… Sorry- what’s your name?”

 

“Kylo,” he replies before nodding while accepting the change the cashier is handing him. “Lunch sounds really fucking great right about now, uh-”

 

The cashier beams at him. “Call me Phasma.”

 

*****

 

“Oh, so you are the crazy kid who bought The General’s house?”

 

Kylo takes a sip of his coke. Phasma had lead him to the food court shortly after he agreed to lunch. They had come to the mutual agreement to split a half pizza, and then Phasma had lead him to a rather secluded table pressed up against a wall. He had given her a rundown of everything that happened- from why he moved here to the events of this morning.

 

“The General’s house?” He questions with raised brows.

 

He watches as Phasma rests her chin in her outstretched palm. “Mmm, yea,” she starts, “there’s a rumor that some war general was murdered in that house a long time ago. So, everyone just refers to it as The General’s house.”

 

Perfect, he thinks to himself. Getting rid of this ghost will certainly not be easy then. He can only assume that ghosts who were murdered are the problem children of the ghost realm.

 

“What do you know about him?” He asks after taking a bite from his pizza.

 

“Not much,” Phasma admits. “I have a friend that’s always doing research on that house. He says that information regarding the house and the general is severely limited, but I can text him and ask if you want?”

 

Kylo contemplates it but ultimately decides against it. “Nah,” he replies. “I don’t want other people thinking I’m crazy. I’m new here, so I’ve gotta build up a decent reputation.”

 

Phasma laughs loudly, and Kylo shoots her a questioning gaze. “Oh, honey,” she breathes out through a laugh, “your reputation was ruined the moment you bought that house.”

 

A loud groan slips through Kylo’s pressed lips. “How does everyone even know about me buying the house?”

 

“A young city boy pays the full cash price for the General’s house- that’s the kind of news that flies through this town like wildfire.”

 

“The house is like an hour away from here,” Kylo argues as he tries not to feel too upset after learning that the entire town probably already thinks that he’s a fool.  

 

“Yea, but like I said, it’s the General’s house. Everyone knows about that house.” A loud beep draws Phasma away from the conversation. Kylo watches as she pulls her phone out of her pocket, and he glances at her in concern as she lets out a loud gasp.

 

“Fuck, I’m about to be late!” She hops up from her chair, bending down to grab Kylo’s phone.

 

“What are you-”

 

“Text me ghost updates! I’ve gotta get back to work!” And with that, she’s off, sprinting away from the food court and back to the toy store.

 

Kylo slumps back in his chair, staring at Phasma’s contact still glowing on his phone screen. He can’t keep the tiny smile pulling at the corners of his lips- despite everything, he has made his first friend. If the Ouija Board works, he’ll have to at least thank the ghost for helping him make a friend in what might be the weirdest way possible.

 

He stands and carries their trash to the trashcan nearby before going back for his shopping bag. He arches his back into a stretch- the need to sleep creeping back up again. He combs his fingers through his loose hair before starting towards the parking garage. He’s got a ghost to chat with.

 

*****

 

Google had told him to set the mood with candles and all that bullshit, but Kylo’s impatient. He wants to hurry and start chatting- or scolding for a better word because his arm is still throbbing from the cut. He quickly sets up the Ouija Board on the middle of his kitchen table before flopping down into a chair and stretching his arms out until his fingers ghost over the planchette resting in the middle of the board.

 

The realist part of his mind is screaming at how idiotic this whole scene is, but the throbbing cut on his arm is reminding him that what happened this morning actually happened. He takes a deep breath before clearing his throat. “Is anyone there,” he questions quietly- only to be greeted with stillness and silence. He can once again feel his anger flaring up.

 

“Alright, General,” he starts with a piercing tone, “I know you are here somewhere, so why don’t you come and have a chat with me.” The temperature in the room starts to drop drastically, and Kylo can feel his heartbeat quickening rapidly- the ghost is here. He mentally wills himself to calm down as he keeps his eyes glued to the Ouija Board.

 

All of a sudden, the board flies off the table, landing on the floor with a loud thud just as Kylo jumps out of his seat, knocking his chair over as he presses his back against the fridge. Fuck, he’s scared. Who’s he kidding- this ghost could probably kill him in the blink of an eye, and he’s over here provoking the bastard. His breath hitches in his throat as the box the board came in lifts up off of the ground.

 

The sound of a dark laugh has Kylo wishing the fridge would suck him in- anything to get as far away as possible. This is it, he thinks to himself- he’s going to die here. He pushes his body harder against the fridge as the floating Ouija Board box moves towards him. The box stops right in front of his face, and he struggles to breathe as his body starts to quake with shivers.

 

“You-”

 

Kylo squeezes his eyes shut, turning his head away from the sound of a male voice coming from right beside him.

 

“Did you honestly pay fifteen dollars for this idiotic device?”


	4. Of Sassy Ghosts, Conversations, and Mixed Feelings

The initial fear that had been pulsing through Kylo’s body shifts into that of anger and confusion. “What,” he bites out through clenched teeth- eyes darting towards the general direction the voice had just come from.

 

“It would seem that you have wasted a decent amount of money on something incredibly absurd.”

 

It’s as if this snooty voice is coming out of thin air; however, the icy chill clinging to Kylo’s skin tells him that this ghost is very much in the room right beside him. “I wouldn’t have if you had answered me when I called out to you the first time,” he spits back, studying the empty space beside him. He strains his eyes to see if he can locate any type of fuzzy form or movement, but it’s as if he’s talking to himself despite the clear voice resonating in his ear.

 

“You are a bit insufferable. Conversation with you did not really seem all that appealing.”

 

Narrowing his eyes into a piercing glare, Kylo breathes out a bitter laugh. “I’m insufferable? I come in and clean your house, and what do I get in return?” He pushes his sleeve up, holding out his gauze-wrapped arm. “You trying to kill me- that’s what!”

 

“You are being very dramatic.”

 

“You hurt me!” Kylo can feel himself losing any and all of his cool- of course he would get stuck with a ghost that is the actual definition of an obnoxious asshole. Gone is the fear that he was previously feeling- now all he wants to do is splash holy water on this bitch and send him down to hell where his pretentious ass belongs.

 

“Yes- keyword ‘hurt’. If I wanted to kill you, I easily could have, Kylo Ren. Besides, I did what I had to in order to save you.”

 

Pushing aside the fact that this ghost knows his name for now to focus on more pressing matters, Kylo comments, “I don’t know what your definition of ‘save’ is, General, but my definition means getting someone out of harm’s way- not harming them.” He can feel the intense chill diminishing around him slightly, and he glances around, wondering if the ghost left. But, the temperature of the room is still significantly lower than it should be- he assumes that the fucker finally backed off of him some.

 

“You were exhibiting symptoms of mild hypothermia. Had you stayed down in the basement any longer, it could have become frighteningly dangerous for you.”

 

Kylo opens his mouth to reply- only to quickly snap it closed upon realizing that he can’t come up with a counterargument. This ghost probably isn’t wrong- he remembers feeling colder than he had ever felt, and he remembers his mind feeling sluggish. Still, hurting him? Couldn’t this ghost just have jumped in his face and scared him out? And what about that covered painting?

 

“Careful, Ren. You are already exhausted. Thinking too hard cannot possibly be good for your health.”

 

The cheeky voice sounds like it’s coming from the opposite side of the room now, and Kylo really wants to deck the asshole. The lack of sleep has almost fully taken over his body, and he can feel his legs growing weaker by the second. He crouches down, picking the chair he had knocked over back up and collapses into it. After a few moments, the chair across from him slides backwards, and the light creak that follows tells Kylo that the ghost is now sitting at the table with him.

 

“Okay,” Kylo starts, “since you know my name, what’s yours?” Starting with the basics seems like his safest bet at the moment. He almost wants to laugh at how weird the scene probably looks- crazed, tired man talks to himself. That’s a good one for the headlines.

 

“General is fine.”

 

Kylo squints at the empty chair across from him. “General what?”

 

“Just General.”

 

Leaning forward, Kylo plants his elbows atop the kitchen table. He drops his chin onto his laced fingers. “Fine, then I want you to call me Lord Ren.” His lips pull up into a smirk at the sound of a groan coming from across the table.

 

“And that right there is why I did not want to talk to you. You are an impossible human being.”

 

“And you’re an impossible ghost- both figuratively and literally. Yet, here we are.” Kylo hears a low sigh, and he tilts his head, prompting General to reply. After a few silent moments, he realizes that perhaps General’s personality might match his own stubborn one. He gnaws lightly at his bottom lip before asking, “Why can’t I see you?”

 

“It is incredibly difficult to take on a visible, physical form, and I can only hold that form for a short period of time. So, I choose to only do it if the situation deems important enough.”

 

Kylo’s honestly a little shocked at how cooperative General is being at the moment. He had thought that it would take a lot to get any answers out of this bastard, but surprisingly, General is answering his questions without complaints. He processes General’s words before asking, “Washing my dishes is important enough to take on a physical form?”

 

“There are many, smaller actions I can do that do not require taking on a physical form- such as washing the dishes or cutting your arm with a glass shard. Like I have just said, I only take on a physical form it the situation deems important enough.”

 

“Out of all of the things you could have done to me, you chose to wash my dishes and fold my- wait.” Kylo stops, sucking in a sharp breath as a sudden realization pings like a light bulb in his mind. “Were you watching me shower?”

 

“Even if I had been, I am sure I would not have been impressed.”

 

Sassy, Kylo thinks to himself. Perhaps this whole getting rid of a ghost thing could be fun. He could have been stuck with some old woman, or worse, he could have been stuck with a violent murderer. But, General seems to be a fairly young- if his voice is any indicator- bitter man. And Kylo can relate because those are two characteristics that basically sum up a lot of his life. As much as he doesn’t want to admit, he and General are more alike than he had initially thought- well, except for the fact that General seems to value cleanliness whereas Kylo could care less if his dishes were washed or not.

 

“What’s that painting you didn’t want me to touch,” Kylo questions after a few moments, earning a light groan in response.

 

“You are certainly full of questions. Shouldn’t you be packing and leaving? That seems to be a trend with the previous inhabitants of this house.”

 

Kylo leans back against the chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest to ward of the strong chill of having a ghost sitting across from him. “You don’t scare me,” he challenges.

 

“Oh, really? Shall we revisit a few moments ago when you were pressed against your refrigerator in utter fear?”

 

Breathing out a low laugh, Kylo kicks his feet up until they are resting atop the edge of the kitchen table. “That was before I knew that you are merely a pretentious prick who likes to clean.” No sooner had the words left his mouth, Kylo feels his feet being shoved off of the table, and the bearable chill from before severely intensifies. He sucks in a sharp gasp as he feels a frigid breath brush against his ear.

 

“I do believe I have told you that I can easily kill you. Do not test me, Kylo Ren.”

 

Kylo jerks his head back- eyes snapping towards the general direction of General’s voice. Narrowing his wide eyes, a breathes out a dark laugh. “If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so the second I walked into this house. Now, stop bluffing, and go sit down,” he growls, squaring his broad shoulders as he waits until the temperature around him starts to rise slightly. He hears the familiar creak resonating from the chair across from him. He waits a few moments, allowing General to calm down before asking. “What’s up with the whole making the rooms feel like iceboxes thing?”

 

The room falls into an uncomfortable silence until Kylo hears General breathe out a quiet sigh.

 

“I cannot control it- it just happens.”

 

Kylo’s brows furrow at the rather somber tone General’s voice had taken on. His eyes dart around the empty space across from him as he tries to imagine how the man looks. “Can you show me how you look?”

 

“No.”

 

“Does the painting in the basement have anything to do with you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Can I see it?”

 

“No.”

 

Kylo rolls his eyes at General’s now clipped tone. Apparently, General isn’t as willing to open up about certain things as he was a few moments before. Combing his fingers through his hair, he contemplates his next round of questions. “Is it true that you were murdered?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Kylo breathes in a sharp hiss. “What happened?”

 

“I am not telling you that.”

 

 Figures, Kylo thinks to himself. “How come you haven’t like moved on to heaven or hell or wherever it is dead people go?”

 

“Do you honestly think that I would still be here if I knew the answer to that?”  

 

There’s a bite to General’s tone, and Kylo realizes that this is probably a very touchy subject. “Sorry,” he mutters under his breath. He assumes it’s probably rude in the ghost world to ask that question- he’s sure if he were in General’s shoes, he’d probably be bitter, too. “You’ve been in this house for a long time, haven’t you?”

 

“Since I was murdered.”

 

Kylo nods, sporting a rather sympathetic expression. He rubs gingerly at the back of his neck as a yawn slips past his lips. “Why did you text Rey?”

 

“The house would have never gotten clean if it were just you.”

 

Kylo is finding it increasingly difficult to feel sympathetic for General- the ghost can go from sad to annoying in the blink of an eye. “How do you even know how to text,” Kylo questions harshly.

 

“I have watched other inhabitants do it, and I have learned. It’s a simple process really- watching and learning. You should try it some time.”

 

Kylo scowls before casting his eyes down to the floor. He takes the sudden silence as a chance to fully process everything that’s happened. Going over the situation at hand, he’s got a bitter ghost who was murdered living in his house. He’s almost positive that General isn’t going to kill him- the man seems to be mostly all talk. He feels like the most General would do is clean, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. So, what’s his plan of action? Sleep- sleep comes first. Kylo suddenly realizes that he won’t even need to use his sleeping pills now that he’s sure General won’t kill him in his sleep. But, after that? The plan gets fuzzy- he supposes he should focus on trying to help General pass over. Looking passed how annoying General is, he actually kind of feels for the guy- hell, he’d be bitter too if he’s been trapped in a house for a long ass time after being murdered.

 

Another yawn slips past his lips, and fuck everything right now- he is becoming too tired to even care about the fact that he’s having a conversation with a ghost. This isn’t exactly what he had in mind when he slapped $25,000 down for this house. He is supposed to be relaxing and living a judgmental free life to the fullest- however that may be in this small ass town.

 

“Go sleep. Maybe then you won’t be as grumpy when you wake up.”

 

Kylo snaps his gaze up, ignoring the snooty latter half of that comment. General is right- if he doesn’t get to sleep soon, he’ll probably wind up in the hospital. He stands up, stumbling forward slightly before regaining his balance. He gives a slight nod towards what he hopes is General’s direction before commenting, “You better stay out of my fucking room while I sleep.”

 

With that said, Kylo staggers out of the kitchen towards the stairs. The staircase looks like a mountain to his tired eyes, but he manages by clinging to the railing as if his life depends on it.

 

Once he reaches his bedroom, he gives his last bit of effort staggering towards his bed. He collapses face-first onto the mattress. He remembers feeling comfortably warm before everything fades to black.


	5. Of Exorcism Attempts, Netflix and Chill (Literally), and Surprise Sleepovers

The next week passed in a blur of failed exorcism attempts.  

 

On Monday, Kylo had tried the basic cross and bible routine. He had recited whatever passages Google had told him to recite, but he was only greeted with harsh laughter from General. General had told him that this particular method of getting rid of him was one of the more popular ones- and clearly, it was not a productive one.

 

On Tuesday, Kylo had decided to spice things up a bit. He placed a small cross in a cup of water for a few hours before tossing it into the air where General had told him he was standing. The only sound that the two were greeted with was the splash of water hitting the floor. After a few awkward moments of silence, General had made a comment about how someone was going to have to clean that water up, which prompted Kylo to storm out of the room.

 

On Wednesday, Kylo had spent the morning researching on his laptop while General commented on the advancements of technology over his shoulder. Kylo had come across a site called “Exorcism 101,” and he figured it was worth a shot considering it had been two days, yet General was still creeping around his damn house. The site’s advice for getting rid of ghosts was basically to confidently tell the ghost to get the fuck out. After reading that, he had stood up and moved away from his computer. He told General to stand before him, and General obliged while commenting on how absurd this was bound to be. Kylo sucked in a deep breath before yelling, “LEAVE MY FUCKING HOUSE!”

 

He panted at the intensity of his voice- eyes going wide as the temperature in the room increased dramatically. He called out for General and was greeted with silence. He could feel the complete and utter joy building up within his body; however, his happiness was short-lived when he heard the familiar creak from the top stair step. He bolted out his room, and the sound of the TV turning on in the living room had him contemplating throwing himself down the stairs.

 

On Thursday, Kylo had spent the day trying to sneak into the basement to get his hands on that painting despite General’s constant whines that the painting had nothing to do with why he was still there- which Kylo promptly did not believe because General had said he didn’t know why he hasn’t passed yet, so how would he know if the painting has anything to do with him passing over?

 

The two had an intense argument that day before General finally caved and told Kylo that the painting was just something he did not want Kylo to see. Kylo had finally backed off after noticing that the typical strength that usually flows through General’s voice had been weakened to almost an air of desperation.

 

Now, on Friday, Kylo lies in his bed as he tries to shake away the events of the week from his racing mind. He hasn’t heard a peep from General since their argument yesterday, and Kylo isn’t concerned- no, not at all. He’s merely curious as to why the ghost has gone silent.

 

After a few minutes, Kylo decides to go and look for General, making a beeline for the basement because he has been at a comfortable temperature for the whole day- which leads him to the assumption that General has been hiding out in his “cave.”

 

He creeps towards the basement door and tries the doorknob- only to have it resist his insistent turning. Sighing, he presses his palm against the wood, mentally noting how it is cool to the touch. “General,” he calls out- confident that General can hear him despite the door separating them. Not surprised, he is greeted with silence, so he raps his knuckles against the door a few times. “Would you stop moping and come out? I promise not to touch your precious painting- not that I could ever get close enough to it with you here anyway.”

 

“Why do you want me to come out?”

 

The uncharacteristically soft voice sounds close enough to where Kylo believes that General is possibly leaning against the other side of the door. He considers General’s question- why does he want General to come out? He’s been able to walk around his house without a blanket wrapped tightly around him all day, and it’s been pretty nice. But, it’s also been pretty quiet. It’s weird to admit, but he’s gotten sort of used to General’s presence- or lack thereof. He no longer wants to jump out of his skin when he sees a cup floating across the kitchen, and he’s slowly starting to get used to the persistent chill that follows wherever General goes.

 

Gnawing lightly at his bottom lip, he racks his brain for something to say. “I’m bored,” he finally says, silently cursing at how childish his voice sounds. The doorknob starts to turn, and Kylo steps back just as the door pushes open.

 

“You truly are insufferable.”

 

Kylo feels a burst of cold air breeze past him, and he drops his head, allowing his hair to mask his face as his lips curl up into a grin. “Not the first time you’ve told me that,” he comments as he follows the cold air into the living room.

 

*****

 

“So, with this ‘Netflix’ concept, you can just watch films whenever you want?”

 

Kylo snuggles deeper into the blanket cocoon he had made on the couch so that General could sit with him. “Shows, too.” He peers over his blankets to look at the other side of the couch. He tries to paint a mental picture of General, but it’s hard to conjure up an image with little to no descriptive details.

 

“I bet I could find out a lot about you if I researched,” Kylo comments as General scrolls through the Netflix options.

 

“I’m sure you could.”

 

Kylo breathes out a low huff. General’s tone sounds distracted. “Tell me what you look like.” Kylo watches as the PS4 controller drops down onto the couch cushion.

 

“Christ, Ren. I am trying to adapt to modern technology, and you are being a nuisance.”

 

Kylo still isn’t sure why General continues to refer to him by his last name, but there’s something about the way he says it that draws Kylo in- so he’s not going to complain. “You know so much about me, but I don’t know anything about you.” He hears a loud sigh erupt from the other side of the couch.

 

“Why would you want to get to know the ghost you are trying to get rid of?”

 

It’s a plausible question- if there is one thing General has been hitting on point today, it’s asking questions that have Kylo going silent in consideration. However, with this question, the answer seems almost obvious. “Considering the trend this week, getting rid of you appears to be borderline impossible. So, if we are going to be stuck together, I’d like to know who I’m stuck with.” The room falls silent as soon as his words leave his mouth. He considers dropping the subject for now, but the sound of General’s voice piercing through the silence has his eyes filling with hope.

 

“Orange”

 

“What?”

 

“My hair- it’s orange.”

 

Pressing his head against the back of the couch, Kylo closes his eyes and asks, “What are you wearing?”

 

“Honestly, Ren? Is that important?”

 

“Well, not really. But I’m curious. Are you in a war uniform?” Kylo listens to the familiar sigh, and he knows that he will get his answer.

 

“No. I did not die while in uniform if that is what you are asking.”

 

Kylo plays around with General’s words in his head, noticing how General did not answer his question. “Okay, but what are you wearing?”

 

“Ren-”

 

“It helps me picture you,” Kylo interrupts. “Do you know how strange it is talking to nothing? If I can get a mental image, it might make things a little less weird.” He’s aware at how whiny he sounds; however, he finds his reasoning to be sound- if only for his mental stability. He figures that if he can paint up a mental image of General, it would make him feel less crazy.

 

“Fine. I’m wearing a pair of brown slacks and a dark green sweater. Happy?”

 

Typical, Kylo thinks- the man probably looks like Christmas with all those colors going on. His mental image is coming along, but he’s not quite there yet. “How tall are you?”

 

“I’m tall- not as tall as you but close. Tall and thin.”

 

“Thin,” Kylo presses. “A war general is thin?”  He hears General scoff.

 

“I gave orders from the sidelines. However, I am strong despite my stature. Do not let it mislead you, Ren. I could easily beat you in a duel.”

 

“You have like ghost powers, though. That’s hardly fair.” The biting laugh that follows tells Kylo that he may or not have said the very wrong thing.

 

“There is nothing powerful about being dead, Ren.”

 

Yep, that was a very wrong thing to say. “Shit, sorry,” he mutters- hoping that his voice produces the amount of sympathy he’s inwardly feeling towards General.

 

“That’s enough sharing for one night, Ren. Put whatever you normally watch on.”

 

Kylo shifts around in his cocoon, quickly grabbing the controller before returning his arm to the warmth encased within the blankets. He scrolls to a movie he has been meaning to watch and presses play.

 

*****

 

“Today’s form of entertainment is quite strange.”

 

Kylo breathes out a light laugh as the TV screen goes black. He’s about to reply, but he’s promptly cut off by his phone suddenly going off on the coffee table. He begins the attempts at untangling himself from his cocoon but stops when he notices his phone floating towards him. “Thanks,” he mumbles, grabbing the phone from General. He flips it open and is greeted with loud shouting.

 

_“Kylo!”_

“Why all the shouting, Rey?”

 

_“We are coming to stay the night tomorrow!”_

Pulling the phone away from his ear, Kylo squints at the small device with furrowed brows. “You are?”

 

_“We are! We are going to spend the day together! We will be there in the morning!”_

Before he has the chance to question what is going on, the line cuts off. He flips his phone shut, tossing it on the couch as he closes his eyes and lets out a small groan.

 

“I’ll stay away. No one will know I’m here.”

 

General’s voice is quiet. Kylo untangles himself from his blanket nest and gets off the couch. Tossing his arms above his head, he arches his back as he grunts through a stretch. “Thanks,” he replies after a while. “And, sorry,” he adds once he considers that General is going to have to stay locked up. “I’ll try to take them out for part of the day so you won’t have to be cooped up in the basement all day.”

 

“You do not need to worry about me. Goodnight, Ren.”

 

“Night, General.” Kylo feels the air around him growing warmer- he doesn’t know where General goes when he sleeps- the basement perhaps? He makes a mental note to ask General about details like that on another day as he starts towards the stairs. He’s got what’s bound to be a long ass day tomorrow, and he needs to make sure he gets enough sleep to where the trio will be convinced that he’s doing okay.

 

*****

 

“Hey, Phasma,” Kylo greets casually. He had gotten a text from Rey saying that she, Poe, and Finn were about ten minutes away from his house. His plans are to take them out to meet Phasma, and he hopes that the four of them can spend the day sightseeing or whatever. He’s killing two birds with one stone this way- he’s getting them out of the house so General doesn’t have to be a prisoner of the basement, and he’s low-key using Phasma to show that he hasn’t been a hermit since moving to the new house. It’s truly a win, win situation.

 

_“Please tell me you are calling about ghost updates! Did the Ouija Board work? Did-”_

Phasma’s voice cuts off for a moment. Kylo presses the phone harder against his ear as he hears muffled talking in the background.

 

_“Yes, this is the guy I was telling you about. I don’t know yet- that’s what I’m asking!”_

Clearing his throat, Kylo interrupts, “Um, Phasma?”

 

_“Sorry about that. Anyway, updates?”_

“That’s what I’m calling about.” He jerks the phone away from his ear at the loud screaming erupting from the speaker. “Phasma, calm down!”

 

_“Is the ghost the war general that was murdered in the house?!”_

Ignoring her question, Kylo starts, “Phasma, listen, my friends and I are gonna drive up to see you and hang out today.”

 

_“Cool. About the ghost-”_

“Phasma,” Kylo groans, cutting the blonde off. “They don’t know about anything I’ve told you, so if you could do me a favor and not bring it up today- like at all. Just pretend that I never told you.”

 

_“Wait, wait, wait. Am I the only person you told?”_

Kylo feels a chill creeping up his body. He shivers slightly, watching as the front window curtain gets pushed to the side to reveal his driveway. The sight of a car pulling up has his eyes widening. “Yea. Phasma, look, my friends are here, so I have to go soon. Do you know a good place where we can meet you?” The curtain falls back into place, and Kylo can feel the room growing warmer. The sound of the basement door closing has him moving towards the kitchen entrance.

 

_“I’ll text you the address to this great coffee place.”_

“Thanks, and you won’t say anything right?”

_“No, Kylo. Geeze. Your secret is safe with me.”_

“Okay. Okay, good. Text me the address- I’ll text you when we are on our way.” Sudden banging on the front door has Kylo moving back towards the entrance of his house.

 

_“Roger that, Ghost Boy!”_

Kylo curses quietly under his breath as the line goes dead. He really fucking hopes that Phasma will keep her word because he honestly just does not know if he can deal with his friends knowing that he’s been in the company of a ghost.

 

The banging on the door persists, and he takes a deep breath before undoing the locks and pulling the door open.

 

“Kylo!”

 

He stumbles backwards as Rey leaps into his arms, crushing him into a hug. “Hey,” he says through a laugh, wrapping his long arms around her smaller frame. He shoots Poe and Finn a toothy grin as the two walk inside.

 

“It’s been so long!” Rey shouts- voice muffled against Kylo’s chest.

 

“It’s been like a week, Rey,” Finn says as Rey finally lets Kylo go.

 

“Well, it feels like it’s been a year!” Rey shouts, clasping her hands behind her back.

 

“You look good, man,” Poe notes.

 

Kylo shoots Poe a nod, smoothing his hand against the back of his neck. “Yea, I feel a lot better now.” His words earn him smiles from the three, and he offers a smile in return- only to have his smile drop down into a frown has the trio starts walking towards the kitchen. He’s hot on their heels- afraid that the kitchen may still be unnaturally cold from General’s presence a few moments ago. He steps in after them, breathing out a sigh of relief at the pleasant temperature surrounding the room.

 

However, his relief is short-lived as he stares in horror at Finn approaching the basement door. “Finn-”

 

“Fucking hell! Why’s this door so cold?” Finn presses his hands against the door- staring at it with furrowed brows.

 

Biting down hard on his lower lip, Kylo watches with trembling eyes as Finn tries the doorknob- it resists Finn’s persistent turning, and Kylo can only guess that General is holding it from the other side.

 

“What’s wrong with this thing?”

 

Squaring his shoulders, Kylo walks towards Finn, placing his hand on the shorter man’s shoulder and leading him away from the door. “It’s finicky- and there’s a busted window down there I’ve gotta replace.”

 

“A window in the basement?” Finn asks- voice laced with disbelief.  

 

“Yea, I don’t get it either- I’ll probably board it up or something.” Kylo’s eyes dart around his three friends, and he can feel his shoulders sagging in relief as they seem disinterested in pressing the subject further. “Anyway,” he starts again, “I met someone.”

 

“Potential boyfriend!?” Rey shouts.

 

Three pairs of eyes and ears zero in on Kylo, and he realizes that he probably should have just said he made a friend- that would have been much easier. “No,” he starts, “A friend- her name is Phasma. We are going to hang out with her today- if that’s alright with you guys?”

 

“You made a friend!” Rey wraps her arms around Kylo once more. “Of course we want to meet her! Let’s go right now!”

 

“You good to drive, Poe?” Kylo asks. “My truck won’t seat all of us.”

 

“No problem,” Poe answers.

 

The four head back towards the front door. Kylo pulls it open for them, and the trio files out with him close behind. He closes the door, patting his coat pockets to make sure he has everything, but it appears he’s missing his phone. “You guys go ahead to the car- I forgot my phone.” He watches as they nod in agreement before he turns back into the house. He scans the living room couch before making his way to the kitchen- where his phone is hovering in the air.

 

“Thanks,” he mutters as he grabs his phone from General. “Uh, the house is yours. We’ll probably be back around eight.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Right, well, I’ll see you later.” Kylo spins on his heel, starting back towards the door.

 

“Ren.”

 

He freezes, glancing over his shoulder at the sound of General’s voice. “Yea?”

 

“You are anxious. Don’t be. There is nothing to worry about, so stop acting like a fool and go out and enjoy your time with your friends.”

 

Kylo feels the tension flowing out of his muscles at General’s words. He is anxious- worried that something will go wrong, and he and General will be found out. But, other than the little mishap with the basement door, things went smoothly enough- for now. He will panic about them spending the night in his house later. General is right- he needs to just have fun with his friends. “I will. Thanks,” he calls over his shoulder before racing out of the house towards Poe’s car.

 

*****

 

“Seriously, though. You literally made friends with the coolest girl on the planet!” Rey says as Kylo unlocks his front door, allowing his three friends to enter before him.

 

“Yea, she’s pretty awesome,” Poe agrees through a yawn.

 

It’s late- later than Kylo had planned, but after hours of sightseeing, Phasma had taken them to a bar. It’s pushing midnight now, and he watches as the trio goes to get ready for bed. Kylo had offered to sleep on the floor since he doesn’t have his guest bedroom set up yet, but Rey had insisted that the four of them could fit on his bed- “just like old times” she had said. He’s not even remotely convinced that they can fit comfortably on his bed, but he knows that arguing with Rey is beyond pointless sometimes.

 

Once everyone is suited for bed, Kylo goes into his bedroom with them, laughing as Rey, Finn, and Poe pile onto his bed. There’s a lot of shouting and pushing, but after a few minutes, they manage to find comfortable positions. Much to Kylo’s surprise, there’s enough space for his long body. He’s not entirely sure how comfortable it will be, but he slides into the space anyway. He’s not left with a lot of room, but the others seem content- he can live with it for one night.

 

After about thirty minutes of staring at his ceiling, Kylo slips out of bed- careful not to wake the others. He’s exhausted, but he’s not going to be blessed with sleep until he sees that General is okay. He feels bad for having told him that they would be home by eight. Granted, General probably doesn’t care, but he wants to make sure.

 

Skipping the top step, he pads softly down the stairs. He enters the kitchen, opting to leave the light out as he blindly makes his way towards the basement door. He tries the knob, and as usual, it resists- he’s sure General is just being cautious, so he raps his knuckles against the door softly. “It’s me,” he calls out quietly.

 

Hearing the doorknob turning, he moves away, plopping down onto one of the kitchen chairs as the iciness of General’s presence covers the room. Just as quickly as the shivers start, they stop, and Kylo glances around in confusion- despite knowing full and well that he’s not going to see General. Just as he’s about to stand up and go looking for General, a thick blanket drapes across his bare shoulders.

 

A soft smile teases at the corners of Kylo’s lips. “Thanks,” he whispers as the chair across from him lets out a creak. He pulls the blanket tightly around his body and leans back against the chair.

 

“You had a nice time.”

 

General’s tone suggests that that is a statement- not a question. “Yea,” Kylo agrees.

 

“You enjoy having your friends around.”

 

Another statement. “I do,” Kylo whispers back.

 

“Then, why did you leave?”

 

The time on the stove reads 1:04 a.m., and Kylo thinks that it’s way too late to be having this conversation right now, but he might as well since General seems curious enough. “Things weren’t good with my dad.”

 

“Does this share any connection with the ‘potential boyfriend’ comment made earlier?”

 

Kylo jerks forward- shit. Why did that conversation have to be in the fucking kitchen? “You were listening,” he hisses.

 

“Of course I was listening. You four were incredibly loud- it was hard not to hear.”

 

Leaning back against the chair, Kylo sighs. “Yea, okay. I told my father that I’m gay, and he didn’t exactly agree with it.”

 

“So you ran away?”

 

Kylo’s eyes narrow into a piercing glare. “I did not ‘run away,’” he states harshly. “I left a place that no longer felt welcoming for me. Is that so wrong, General?” He could feel anger starting to bubble up within his stomach.

 

“I suppose talking it through was out of the question?”

 

A bitter laugh slips through Kylo’s pressed lips. “If you want to know where I got my stubbornness from, it’s from my father. So, no. Talking it over would not have fucking worked.”

 

“I see.”

 

The silence that follows is unsettling, but it allows the anger building up to simmer down significantly. Kylo wishes that he could see General- the man can often be a genius at masking his tone to sound neutral no matter what the conversation topic is, and Kylo can only assume that he’s an expert at a deadpan expression as well. However, he still wishes that he could really see General. He gnaws lightly at his bottom lip. “What are you thinking about?” 

 

“Many things, Ren.”

 

Kylo’s eyebrows raise at the words. “Care to share?”

 

“No. Go to bed, Ren.”

 

Kylo listens to the basement door close before stumbling back up the stairs to bed. He makes a mental note to question General about his history at a later time as he walks into his bedroom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the Exorcism 101 site is a real thing- [here](http://leonsplanet.com/exorcism101.htm) it is if you wanna check it out


	6. Of Illnesses, Apologies, and Sharing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if it's needed, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. 
> 
> Trigger Warning for brief mentions of violence.

Fall fades away quickly to Winter.

 

As weird as it is to Kylo, he and General have fallen into a simple routine. In the mornings, he wakes up to coffee waiting for him in the kitchen- and that is something that he has easily grown accustomed to. He sits with General at the kitchen table and chats with him about mindless topics over breakfast- granted, General can’t eat, but the man still enjoys the smell of bacon and coffee. Afterwards, Kylo retreats to his room to work on editing projects while General remains downstairs with his new best friend- the TV.

 

Kylo usually works throughout the day- with one lunch break before stopping work when it is time for dinner. He spends the rest of the night with General until he believes that it is time to shower and go to bed. It’s a fairly basic schedule, but it is one that he finds works best for both of them.

 

Kylo has long since gotten used to the many quirks that come with living with a ghost. It’s now normal for him to see random dishes floating through the air or to hear the top step creak multiple times throughout the day. In order to battle the cold that comes along with General’s presence, Kylo has set up a few blankets in all of the main rooms he and General sit in together. Despite this, he has actually gotten somewhat used to feeling slightly colder than average. However, General insists that he use the blankets, and so he obeys General’s orders so that General won’t “mom” him- he has quickly learned that arguing with General about certain matters is beyond pointless.

 

In the event that Kylo has friends over, General takes to the basement without complaint. It still makes Kylo feel bad; however, General has told him countless times to stop “worrying over mindless matters.” Rey, Finn, and Poe usually come every other weekend, and Phasma has come over a couple of times. Kylo finds that he and Phasma have grown incredibly close in the month since they’ve met, and Rey, Finn, and Poe practically beg him to invite Phasma over when they drive up to see him. 

 

Kylo has told Phasma that he hasn’t had a ghostly encounter since the day he got cut. Unfortunately, that knowledge does not stop her from pinning him with the “Ghost Boy” nickname. However, she knows not to use it if Rey, Finn, and Poe are around.  Kylo feels that he can deal with the annoying nickname as long as the trio doesn’t find out.

 

The term “new life” has dropped the “new.” Kylo sees his life here as just his life now- he has adapted quickly. Despite his odd circumstance of having a ghost as a roommate, everything has been going smoothly, and he’s finally starting to relax. It had been a rough yet weird start, but all of the pieces are beginning to fall blissfully into their rightful places in the puzzle that is his life.  

 

*****

 

The loud blare of his alarm has Kylo tossing his comforter over his head with a raspy groan. It’s the start of yet another normal weekday for he and General, and yet, he’s finding it harder than usual to will his body out of bed today. He waits until his alarm goes into automatic snooze due to inactivity before rolling back onto his side, keeping the blankets over his head.

Just ten more minutes, he tells himself- ten more minutes then he will get out of bed and start the day. A delayed start won’t kill anyone; however, the sound of his bedroom door creaking open has him retracting his words.

 

“Ren?”

 

There’s one downside to living with General- the man values punctuality just as much as he values cleanliness. “What,” Kylo asks- voice muffled by the blankets covering his face.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

The concern coloring General’s tone is enough to force Kylo to sit up in bed- blankets pooling around his bare waist as he tosses his arms up into a stretch. “Yep,” he says through a yawn before he wills his body to move out of his bed.

 

“You slept through your alarm.”

 

Kylo rubs some warmth into his arms as he walks towards his closet to find something to throw on. “I didn’t want to get up.”

 

“That is unlike you. Are you sure that you are alright?”

 

Kylo slips a long-sleeved black shirt over his head as he ponders the question. If he’s being honest with himself, he feels slightly off. He could blame it on the fact that his parents are in town and how that knowledge has had him on edge for two days now, but he knows what this whole more tired than usual and overall achy feeling really is. He’s not surprised- he gets sick at least once around this time every year.

 

He opens his mouth to reply to General but is cut off by a series of sneezes.

 

“I will take that as a no, then.”

 

Kylo sniffles, rubbing the back of his hand against his nose. “I’m fine,” he says before he slips into a pair of gray sweatpants. “It’s just a cold.”

 

“You should rest.”

 

Great, Kylo thinks to himself. Here comes General’s infamous “mom mode”. A few light coughs slip between his pressed lips. “No,” he says before clearing his throat. “I should go downstairs, get my coffee and breakfast, then come back up here and get to work.”

 

“Ren-”

 

“General,” Kylo starts, cutting the man off. “I am fine. I will rest after I edit some of this chapter that’s due next week.” He grabs his cell phone before starting towards the stairs with General close on his heels. “This happens every year. I’ll live.”

 

“You are impossible, Ren.”

 

Kylo’s lips twitch up into smirk at General’s words. He turns into the kitchen, making a beeline for the steaming cup of coffee waiting for him. “I know. You only tell me like twice a day,” he replies, wrapping cold hands around the warm mug. He takes a sip, relishing in the warmth that helps ease his slight shivers.

 

“I find it necessary to remind you more than once a day.”

 

Leaning against the counter, Kylo breathes out a low laugh. He opens his mouth to reply, but the sudden sound of his text tone has him turning his attention towards his phone blinking on the counter beside him. He sets his mug down and snatches his phone up, flipping it open. His tired eyes go wide as they dart across the text he has just received. “Fuck,” he hisses under his breath.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Oh fuck me,” Kylo spits out louder this time as he snaps his phone shut, curling his fingers tightly around it until his hand is balled into a fist. He slams his fist down against the counter a few times as the text flashes behind his panicked eyes.  

 

“Ren?”

 

“The author of the chapter I’m editing needs this chapter finished in the next two days, and I’m not even halfway through with it! Fuck!” Kylo bolts out of the kitchen and starts up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. He can feel a headache starting to bloom at his temples as he shoves his bedroom door open. He hurries over to his computer, flopping down into the chair before opening the document with the chapter.

 

“Ren, you cannot push yourself right now. You are ill.”

 

Kylo groans loudly- of course General followed him into his room. “I’m not sure if you heard me, but I have to finish this- preferably now.” He turns his focus towards scrolling through the place where he had left off yesterday in the document.

 

“Ren.”

 

Kylo can feel himself growing irritable as the anxiety of getting this chapter finished pulses in waves throughout his body. “General,” he starts through clenched teeth, “I need to focus. Can you please leave and not bother me today?” He’s met with silence before he hears his bedroom door close. He allows himself a moment to feel guilty for treating General like an asshole, but he tells himself that he will do damage control once he finishes this chapter. He’s sure that he can finish it by early tomorrow morning if he just works non-stop. It will be hard, but he can do it- he has to.

 

*****

 

The words have long since been blurring together into one big jumbled mess on his computer screen. Kylo’s head feels as if it will split into two, and his chest burns with each cough that forces its way up his raw throat. He thinks that his face might actually melt off despite the iciness that is burning throughout the rest of his body. To put it simply, he feels like utter shit.

 

He glances out the window beside his desk with furrowed brows- he can’t seem to recall when it had turned dark outside. The time on his computer screen is telling him that it is long past dinner time- not that he has an appetite anyway. Blinking away his blurring vision, he tries to focus once more on the task at hand, but he has to stop and grip at his desk as a violent coughing fit seizes his entire body. “Fuck,” he wheezes out just as he hears his door slowly open.

 

“Ren?”

 

His previous harshness towards General comes back in patches. He spins his chair around slowly until he’s squinting at the doorway through the dim lighting illuminating from his desk lamp.  

 

“Christ, you look like hell.” 

 

“It’s not that bad,” he rasps out, frowning at how weak his voice sounds. He expects General to laugh at his blatant attempt at masking how he’s actually feeling, but General only breathes out a low sigh.

 

“You’re shivering.”

 

“Well, you are here,” Kylo answers, massaging his temples with trembling hands.

 

“I am standing in the hallway, Ren.”

 

Kylo’s brows furrow at General’s words. He wraps his arms around his shivering body. “Oh,” is all he manages to say- his head is pounding way too hard to come up with other words. He turns his head to the side to cough harshly into his shoulder. “Okay, maybe I’m not okay.”

 

“Clearly.”

 

“I think I have medicine in the bathroom,” Kylo starts as he stands up- swaying on his feet.

 

“Ren?”

 

Kylo waits until the room stops spinning before taking a shaky step forward- and that’s a horrible mistake. His vision starts to darken as the room starts to tilt slowly. “Shit,” he breathes out.

 

“Kylo?”

 

He can feel his body slowly moving with the tilting room as his surroundings continue to grow black. He faintly hears someone shout his name before he’s falling rapidly towards the floor.

 

He forces his eyes open- his body is being supported by something solid and cold.

 

Blinking slowly, he catches a glance of a wisp of orange hair as he feels himself being lifted.

 

Another slow blink- blurring eyes lock onto a startling green pair staring down at him in concern.

 

Then his world goes black.

 

*****

 

A cool palm pressing against his forehead pulls Kylo out of his fitful sleep. As his vision clears, his eyes grow wide at the sight in front of him. “Mom!” He shouts, jolting into a sitting position as his body is wracked with a coughing fit.

 

“Easy, Ben!"

 

He feels his mother rubbing small circles on the middle of his back. “What,” he breathes out in between coughs, “are you doing here?”

 

“You texted us, sweetheart.”

 

No, he thinks to himself. He most definitely did not text them, but he can give a wild guess at who fucking did. He lies back against his pillows, and he contemplates going back to sleep until the realization of exactly what his mother had just said hits him full force. “Wait, ‘us’?”

 

“Well-”

 

“You brought dad?” Kylo asks- voice raspy yet piercing.

 

“Your father wanted to come.”

 

A biting laugh slips through Kylo’s lips, resulting in yet another coughing fit. Once he manages to catch his breath, he glances around the room. “Where is he, then?”

 

“Making tea.”

 

Anxiety begins to mix in with his anger at the realization that he’s in bed and not working on the chapter he’s supposed to be editing. “The chapter,” he starts- only to be cut off by a series of coughs.

 

“You told us to contact the author in the text you sent us, honey. She said not to worry about anything and to rest. She has other editors who will finish this chapter for you.”

 

Kylo shuts his eyes as exhaustion grips at his body once more. He wonders if General is stowing away in the basement right now.

 

Wait- General… Did he see General? He attempts to rack his fuzzy mind for the previous events, but sleep takes hold once more.

 

 *****

 

The next time Kylo manages to pry his eyes open, he’s met with the sight of his father sitting on a chair at his bedside. He tries to will himself back to sleep, but the tickle in his throat is increasing. He brings his hand to his mouth and lets out a few coughs.

 

“You awake, son?”

 

Fuck. “Yea,” he answers flatly- eyes shifting lazily over to meet his father’s.

 

“How are ya feeling?”

 

“Fucking fantastic,” Kylo spits out, shifting around in his bed until he’s in a comfortable sitting position. “Where’s mom?”

 

“Seems like the trio has tried to call you multiple times, and now they are in hysterics because you never answered. Your mother is on the phone with them trying to calm them down.”

 

Shit. Kylo briefly wonders how long he’s been out. He hates that his memory is so jumbled right now. He wishes he had the strength to get up and go get his phone from his mother- he wants to be the one to assure his friends that he’s going to be fine.

 

“Ben.”

 

Kylo slowly moves his eyes from the doorway to his father. “Han.”

 

“I owe ya an apology, son.”

 

Of course, Kylo thinks. His father is going to try and make things okay between them by pulling the whole ‘I promise I care about you’ bullshit act. This isn’t the first time he’s seen this. “Save it,” Kylo bites out, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“I’m sorry, Ben.”

 

“I said-” Kylo starts- only to be cut off by his father holding a hand up.

 

“Just shut up for once in your goddamn life and let me finish. You don’t have to accept my apology, and if you want to go on ignoring me, that’s fine. But I want you to know that I’m actually sorry, son. I was an asshole to you, but I’ve been talking with your mother, Luke, and your friends a lot. It helped- they helped me see that your, uh, sexual preferences are okay. So, I just want to say I’m sorry. You wanna say ‘I do’ to a man some day? I’ll support it.”

 

Kylo’s wide eyes follow his father as the older man stands and picks up a pill bottle and a glass of water off of his computer desk. Who the fuck was this man, and what did he do with Han Fucking Solo?

 

He watches as his father approaches him and hands him two pills and the glass of water.

 

“Take these and get more rest.”

 

Kylo can only nod in response before his father walks out of the room. He pops the two pills into his mouth and washes them down with a big gulp of water before setting the glass on his bedside table. Lying back against his pillows, flashes of his father’s wrinkled, somber face dart across his mind as his eyes grow heavy. What the fuck, he thinks to himself before his world goes black once more.

 

*****

 

“Are you sure you will be alright by yourself?”

 

The last two days had passed in a fevered blur, but Kylo’s fever had broken late last night. Now, he’s anxious to get his parents out of his house because he hasn’t heard a peep from General, and he’s starting to get worried.

 

“For the last time, Mom. I’ll be fine. One more day of rest, and I’ll be good as new.” His mother hugs him in response, and he wraps his long arms around her shorter frame.

 

“Okay, but you will call me if anything is wrong. Right?”

 

“Yes, Mom,” he sighs as she pulls away from him. He locks eyes with his father- they hadn’t really said a lot to each other since the big apology, but there was no hostility within the silence. It’s more that Kylo is still reeling from his father’s words and that is leaving him at a loss for words. He had expected a lot of yelling and arguing, but his father had surprised him- and he’s honestly not sure how to handle it.

 

Kylo pulls his front door open for his parents. His mother walks out first with his father close on her heels. Gnawing at his bottom lip, Kylo watches as the two head towards his father’s car.

 

“Dad, wait!” He suddenly calls out, racing out into the cold air towards his father.

 

“Ben-”

 

Kylo cuts his father off by pulling the older man into a hug. He lets out a sigh of content as his father’s strong arms wrap around him- he can’t remember the last time he has hugged his father, but he knows it’s been long enough to almost forget how it feels.

 

“Okay, kid. Get your ass back inside before you get sick all over again.”

 

Nodding, Kylo races back to the house with a grin playing across his lips. He waves to his parents as they drive off before stepping inside and closing the front door. Despite being out in the cold winter air, he feels surprisingly warm.

 

He needs to thank General.

 

“General?” He calls out, starting towards the kitchen. He tries the basement doorknob, and it unsurprisingly resists his insistent turning. “General? Can you come out?”

 

“You need more rest.”

 

Kylo’s brows furrow at the wooden door. “I want to talk.”

 

“You are still ill. Being around me will not be good for your health. We can talk when you are well.”

 

Kylo tries the knob again. “I’m fine. Please come out and talk to me.”

 

“Ren-”

 

“I’m not fucking leaving until you open this door, General,” Kylo states firmly. He hears a loud sigh from the other side of the door.

 

“Fine. Go and sit at the top of the stairs with a blanket. Call down when you’ve done that.”

 

Kylo tilts his head in question but obliges. He grabs one of the blankets he keeps in the kitchen before starting up the stairs. His body reminds him that he is in fact still sick, but he pushes the small headache and aching muscles aside for now. “Okay,” he calls out as he flops down onto the ground at the top of the steps and wraps the blanket around his body. He hears the basement door open and close followed by light footsteps. “Where are you?”

 

“Bottom step.”

 

The distance is far enough to where Kylo can’t feel the chill that comes with General. He shifts his gaze down to the bottom step. “I think I saw you.”

 

“You had a very high fever, Ren. You were delirious.”

 

Kylo laughs lightly at General’s response; however, he can’t form a good argument because his memories are in fact still really fuzzy. Despite this, he still asks, “Did you take on a physical form to help me?” He can’t keep the smugness out of his voice.

 

“No. I told you that I only take on a physical form if the situation deems important enough.”

 

General’s defensive tone is enough of an answer for Kylo. He smirks. “Okay, General. Whatever you say.”

 

“Did you ask to talk to me just to mock me, Ren?”

 

Kylo bites down lightly at his bottom lip. “No,” he admits. “You texted my mother.”

 

“You needed help.”

 

“Why my mother?”

 

“Christ, Ren. There was no time to sit and contemplate who would be the best person to contact. You needed help immediately. Your mother and father were in town, so I went with them.”

 

Kylo shifts around until his back is against the wall. “Thank you.”

 

“I assume that things went well with your parents, then?”

 

Kylo presses his head against the wall, closing his eyes. “Because of you, I think my dad and I are going to be okay.”

 

“Well, good.”

 

“Tell me about yourself.” Kylo says suddenly. He’s feeling tired, but he really wants to know more about General.

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

Kylo snaps his gaze down to the bottom step. “You are actually going to tell me stuff?”

 

“I suppose. I feel that we have reached a level of trust that is suitable for sharing information about each other.”

 

Kylo can’t keep the smile from tugging at his lips. “Were you married?”

 

“Out of all of the things you could have asked me, you go with that, Ren? Christ. No, I was not married.”

 

Kylo considers General’s words. “Have you been with anyone?”

 

“You are insufferable, Ren. Yes. I have been with both men and women, if you must know.”

 

Well, Kylo was not expecting that answer in the slightest. He has brief thoughts of General being a player when he was still alive, and it results in a light laugh slipping past his lips. “None of them worked out?” He finally asks.

 

“No one wanted me to stay.”

 

The smile playing at Kylo’s lips quickly drops down into a frown at the sadness lacing General’s tone. “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean I had tried relationships with multiple people, but no one wanted me to stay.”

 

Kylo knows he should drop the subject, but he can’t help it. “Were any of the relationships serious?” He hears General sigh and contemplates retracting his question, but General answers.

 

“I was serious in all of my relationships, Ren. I had a child with a woman right before I went to war- we named him after me. The night before I was to leave, the woman told me that she did not want me to come back. She told me that I was insufferable. I am unsure as to what I had done to make her change her mind about me so rapidly, but she did.”

 

Fuck. Kylo stares down at the empty space at the bottom of the stairs. He wishes in this very moment that he could gather General in his arms and hold him- he’s certain that General needs it.

 

He needs to swap topics. “Why were you murdered and why this house?” Okay, he thinks to himself- probably the worst topic switch, but it’s something that he really wants to know.

 

“I figured this question was coming. During the war, I came across this house. It was in poor shape, but I managed to fix it up in my downtime. After the war, I moved all of my belongings in. However, I was unaware that I was being watched- carelessness on my behalf. One night, a man broke in. He told me that I had ordered the killing of his brother during the war. I told him that I was just doing my job and that Commander Snoke would have had my head if I didn’t obey his orders. He pulled out a knife and chased me into the basement- where he proceeded to stab me to death. I assume he took my body out of the house because when I woke up, I was alone in the basement as a ghost."

 

Oh, shit. “Fucking- fuck, General. That’s- fuck. God, I’m so sorry.” General’s words have left Kylo’s whole body into a trembling mess. He finds that he’s having trouble forming coherent sentences.

 

“Don’t be. It happened quite a long time ago. Besides, the man had every right to be angry with me. I was a coward during the war- I did whatever Commander Snoke asked without hesitance.”

 

“You aren’t a coward,” Kylo calls down softly, earning a scoff from General.

 

“Maybe not now. But I was a different person when I was alive, Ren.”

 

Kylo’s eyes drop to the floor at the bite of General’s tone. He wants to hug General, and he wants to make General feel better- if he could, he would take away all of the horrid memories that most likely plague General on a daily basis.

 

He needs to say something- anything to fill the uncomfortable silence. He needs to say something that can fix everything.

 

“I want you to stay,” he finally decides on, and the gasp that resonates from the bottom step has Kylo’s eyes widening.

 

“W-what?”

 

There’s surprise coloring General’s tone now- and Kylo will take that as a sign that he has said the right thing for now. “I want you to stay,” he repeats. “It’s not fair for me to try and keep you here, but I like having you here.”

 

“Has your fever returned?”

 

Kylo sighs at General’s words. “No, I’m fine. I just wanted to let you know that I want you to stay. So, now you can’t say that no one wanted you to stay- because I do.”

 

“Ren… I enjoy being in your company as well.”

 

“Good,” Kylo breathes out, coughing lightly into his fist.

 

“Go to bed, Ren. You still need rest.”

 

Kylo nods, standing up on tired legs. He glances back towards the empty space at the bottom of the steps. “General,” he calls out, wondering if General is still there.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Thank you for telling me about yourself.”

 

“It was overdue. Now, go to bed, and don’t forget to take your medicine before you go to sleep.”

 

Kylo nods again as he yawns, starting towards his bedroom.


	7. Of Coffee, Friends, and Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love all of you guys. I really appreciate all of the comments and kudos. I've been meaning to say this every chapter, but I kept forgetting. Anyway, I really love you all! You all make writing my first fanfiction for this ship so amazing!

“Are you sure that you are well enough to go out?”

 

Kylo shakes his head as he breathes out a low laugh at General’s worrying. After his talk with General, he had spent the rest of the day in bed sleeping, and apparently that was what he needed because he is feeling worlds better now- he only has a lingering cough that he’s sure will go away with time.

 

He had gotten a text from Phasma a few hours ago asking if he could go out and see her, and he agreed to meet her at their usual coffee place. Of course, General had gone into “mom mode” the second Kylo had told him that he was going to go out for a bit.

 

“I’m sure,” Kylo replies, slipping into his coat. He pats his pockets to make sure that his wallet and keys are where they should be before starting towards the front door. He can feel a cough threatening to slip through his pressed lips, and he pushes his fist against his mouth in an attempt to muffle it. However, the cough is slightly stronger than he had anticipated.

 

“I really do not think you are well enough to be going out.”

 

“General,” Kylo sighs, “we are going out for coffee. I’m going to sit in a warm cafe and drink warm drinks for a bit. That’s it. I promise I’ll come back right after.” The sound of a defeated sigh follows his words, and he knows that he’s won this argument.

 

“If you are sure.”

 

A smile tugs at Kylo’s lips as he pulls the front door open. “I’m sure,” he says, glancing behind his shoulder. “Where are you?”

 

“Kitchen doorway.”

 

Moving his gaze towards the kitchen doorway, Kylo shoots General a toothy grin. “Pick out some Netflix movies for us to watch when I get back,” he calls out before offering a nod towards General’s direction. “I’ll be back in a bit!”

 

“Have fun, Ren.”

 

General’s voice has taken on a rather somber tone, and Kylo furrows his brows, turning around until he’s completely facing the kitchen doorway. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Hmm? Nothing.”

 

Crossing his arms, Kylo gnaws lightly at his bottom lip. His eyes dart across the open space in the kitchen doorway as if he can actually see and study General’s face. “Are you sure? If you are still worried about me, I promise I’m fine.”

 

“Just be careful, and try not to push yourself.”

 

Nodding, Kylo allows his eyes to linger on the empty space for a few more moments before turning back towards the open door. “See you in a bit,” he calls out over his shoulder before exiting the house.

 

*****

 

“You are in trouble, mister!”

 

Kylo glances up from his hot tea at the sound of Phasma’s voice. He frowns at her words as she plops down in the seat across from him. “Why?”

 

“Do you know what you did?!”

 

Kylo glances around wearily, checking to see if any of the people sitting around them have picked up on Phasma’s loud, accusatory tone. He gestures for her to keep her voice down before commenting, “No?”

 

“You made Rey cry!”

 

Kylo’s frown deepens at Phasma’s words. What is she talking about? He racks his brain for any memories of upsetting Rey, but he comes up empty. “What do you mean?”

 

Phasma lets out a loud huff, pressing her back against the booth seat and crossing her arms. “She called me a couple of days ago sobbing! She kept going on and on about how you almost died!”

 

Kylo’s frown shifts up into a flat line. He leans forward, resting his elbows atop the table. “I didn’t ‘almost die.’ I was just sick,” he replies flatly.

 

“I’m not sure if I would call lying unconscious in bed as ‘just sick’, Kylo.”

 

Biting down on his lower lip, Kylo takes a second to consider Phasma’s words. He hadn’t thought that being sick would be that big of a deal, but apparently he was wrong- if Phasma’s piercing glare is any indicator. He drops his chin into his palm and shoots Phasma a soft smile. “I’m sorry.”

 

“You fucking better be,” she hisses, softening her gaze as Kylo turns to cough lightly into the crook of his arm. “You had us all really worried.”

 

Sighing, Kylo shifts his glance towards the window, watching the clouds gathering within the greying sky. “I know,” he starts softly, moving his gaze back towards the blonde. “It came on really fast. I was panicked because of work, and I just pushed myself too hard.”

 

“You know- my best friend is a pre-med student. If you are ever feeling sick you can call me, and I can take you to him.”

 

“I don’t want to be a bother,” Kylo says before taking another sip of his tea.

 

“I’d rather you be a bother then be dead, Ghost Boy.”

 

Kylo’s eyes narrow at the familiar nickname. Shooting Phasma a glare results in the blonde laughing at him, and he soon finds himself laughing along with her. He still keeps the fact that Rey had cried to Phasma in the back of his mind, and he makes a mental note to call her later to assure her that he’s very much alive and well.

 

He and Phasma soon fall into mindless chatter. They talk about how it’s probably going to snow soon, and Phasma explains the bruise on her arm- apparently this pre-med friend of hers does not like to be bothered while studying.

 

Before they know it, two hours pass, and Kylo reluctantly obliges when Phasma tells him that he should get home and rest more- despite his arguments that he’s honestly feeling almost completely better. He sets up a time to see her again next week before the two part ways.

 

Kylo hurries to his car- his mind tells him that he’s half running because he needs to get out of the cold, but his heart tells him that he wants to hurry home to be with General. He’s actually really looking forward to spending a day lazing around and watching movies with General. It feels much needed.

 

*****

 

Kylo quickly jams his key into the front door lock, twisting around until he hears the familiar click of the door unlocking. He shoves the door open- surprised to be greeted with silence as opposed to the TV he had been expecting to hear. He glances towards the living room, noting how everything looks untouched.

 

“General,” he calls out- voice echoing throughout the empty house. He walks towards the stairs, calling out for General from the bottom step, but he’s still greeted with an unnerving silence.

 

Turning into the kitchen, he makes a beeline for the basement door. He halts a few steps before the door upon seeing the door slightly ajar. Something’s up- General would never leave the basement door open.  

 

The tight feeling taking over his chest tells Kylo that he’s on his way to a panic attack. He closes the distance between he and the basement door. The doorknob is warm against his hand, and when he pulls the door all the way open, his eyes go wide. Instead of the expected frigid air tackling him, he’s met with the same temperature the kitchen currently is.

 

Something’s not right, he thinks to himself as he starts the descend into the basement. When he reaches the bottom, he notes how the temperature still feels the same. He can feel his breath coming out in short gasps as his heart thumps loudly against his chest.

 

“General?” He chomps down at his bottom lip at the silence that follows.

 

He can feel the anxiety and panic swelling rapidly within his chest as he makes his way back up the basement steps. He glances around the kitchen- eyes zeroing in on a folded piece of paper resting atop the kitchen table. He can’t recall that being there before he left, so he quickly approaches it. He gasps as he sees “Lord Ren” written on the fold in neat handwriting.

 

Snatching the paper up, he unfolds it with trembling hands and begins reading it.

 

_Ren,_

_If you are reading this, then I have already passed over. Do not cry over me- I am serious. Wipe the tears away, Ren. You are a grown man. There is no need to mourn over this._

_I cannot say exactly why I have suddenly passed over, but I have a guess. After you told me that you wanted me to stay yesterday, I suddenly felt warm for the first time in many, many years. Needless to say, it caught me off guard, but I think I understand._

_Perhaps all I needed was for someone to want me._

_And you, Ren. You told me that you wanted me to stay._

_Also, you were right, Ren. I did take on a physical form to help you when you were ill. It seems that you are important enough for me to have done that. And you will remain important to me even though I am no longer here._

_Now, moving on to more pressing matters. I cannot stop you from looking at the painting now. I know that you will probably go and look at it the second you finish reading this. I just want you to know that I am no longer the person in that painting, and I have you to thank for that. You made me feel in ways that I had never thought I would be able to feel again. So, I don’t want your last memory of me to be that man in the painting. I want you to remember me as the man who cared deeply for you._

_The painting is most likely worth quite some money for it is a historic piece. I know that you spent all of your savings on this house, so I want you to really consider selling the painting. I know you need the money._

_Now that all of that is out of the way._

_Ren, you are an insufferable and stubborn human being, but I would not have had you in any other fashion. I have confidence that you will find your true happiness sooner than you think._

_I am going to miss being in your company, Ren. But I have to thank you for helping me pass over- even though you were not aware of it. You are truly one of a kind._

_Again, I ask that you not mourn over me. I can only assume that you are crying right now, and I want you to stop. It is unfortunate that our time has been cut short, but it is something that was bound to happen._

_I am afraid that I am running out of time._

_Please, Ren, take care of yourself. I am sure that we will meet again someday, and I’d rather it be later than sooner. Live your life, Ren. You deserve it._

_Until next time,_

_General B.H._

_P.S. Everything will be okay, Ren._

Kylo grips the paper tightly with both hands as the tears slide down his cheeks. How the fuck is he not supposed to cry? Everything that has become normal for him has suddenly left. Someone he realizes that he truly cares deeply for is gone without warning. Of course he is going to fucking cry.

 

Turning his attention towards the basement, he starts for the doorway. He takes the steps down on shaking legs.

 

His chest further tightens as he approaches the covered paining, and he grabs it without looking at it. He wants to take it into the light so he can really see it. It’s strange, he thinks to himself. He has been wanting to see this painting for the longest time, and now that he’s given the opportunity, he finds that he almost doesn’t want to look at it.

 

He climbs back up the steps into the kitchen and sets the painting with the tattered blanket still covering it on top of the kitchen table. He swipes the back of his hand against his welling eyes before carefully removing the blanket. His eyes go wide at the sight he is greeted with.

 

The painting has General seated with a straight back and broad, squared shoulders. He’s wearing a black uniform with a black great coat draped over his shoulders, and there’s a strange, black hat covering most of his orange hair. His face is all smooth skin and sharp angles. However, his eyes… His eyes are cold and lifeless- they are not the same pair of bright, green eyes that Kylo vaguely remembers seeing in his fevered state. He knows that it is just a painting, but General’s eyes are painted in a way that closes him off from the rest of the world. It’s as if General was painted to look like a statue.

 

Kylo gently ghosts his fingers over the painting, halting abruptly as his fingers hover over a few words scribbled at the bottom right of the painting.

 

“General Brendol Hux,” he reads aloud with a shaking voice. He repeats the name to himself a few times as he sinks into the kitchen chair closest to him.

 

“What a stupid name,” he says with a cracking voice as the tears filling his eyes begin to spill over once more. 

 

Funny, Kylo thinks to himself- the house is the warmest it has been since he’s moved in, but he has never felt colder.


	8. Of Present and Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things
> 
> 1\. Hux's first name is apparently Armitage. I'm aware of this, but I have already named him Brendol for this fic. So he's going to stay Brendol. He will be Armitage in future fics, though!
> 
> 2\. I don't know if you guys know, but there's a fan art for this fic! /deep breaths. I just found out last night via a lovely person commenting on my fic, and I may or may not have freaked out for a long time. You can find the art [here](http://jeusus.tumblr.com/post/147283821303/jeusus-netflix-and-chill-i-bet-i-could-find-out) ! I encourage you all to go and give this beautiful artist all the love!

The rest of the day passes in a blur. Kylo remains at the kitchen table, staring at the painting as if he can will General to walk out of it with his mind. He yearns to hear that nagging voice. He yearns to shiver from the persistent chill that comes with General’s presence. He keeps waiting to see a coffee cup float by or to hear the TV come to life, but the house is still and silent.

 

It’s just really not fucking fair. Kylo finds someone who means so much to him, and now he’s gone without warning.

 

He glances at the oven clock, noting how he normally would be finishing up a movie with General right now. But instead, he’s been staring for hours at a painting that does not even begin to remotely capture the General he has grown so fond of. A touch of color to the eyes would really portray the man he has grown to know, but he won’t alter the painting. He’s not selling it- there is no way in hell that he would give up the only concrete piece he has of General, even if he needs the money. But, he’s not going to change it either. It just wouldn’t feel right.

 

Kylo leans back in his chair, coughing into the crook of his arm as he closes his eyes. A small, persistent voice in the back of his mind tells him that he should be happy that he helped General pass, but he just can’t- not yet. He had meant it when he said that he wanted General to stay, and yeah, he knows how unfair that was, but General didn’t seem keen on leaving so soon either. They had grown used to each other- they had grown to like each other.

 

And suddenly, they are ripped away from each other, and it all just fucking sucks.

 

He wonders if General was upset while writing the letter- it certainly didn’t seem like it, but General was infamous for hiding his feelings. Grabbing the letter, he scans the words, rereading the P.S. over and over. Will everything be okay? How could General know that?

 

Why didn’t he stay home today? He could have said a proper goodbye.

 

See you in a bit- those were his last words to General. “Stupid,” he mutters under his breath, clutching the letter within his trembling hands.

 

The silence of the house is deafening, and Kylo finds himself dropping the letter on top of the painting and stumbling outside on wobbly legs. He sits down on the top porch step, watching as the light snow fall begins to cover the ground in white. The snow slightly brightens the dark surroundings. It’s late- he should be getting ready for bed right now.

 

Tilting his head back, he closes his eyes and lets the small flakes land and melt on his face. He can almost hear General’s nagging voice telling him to get back inside, but what’s the point? He doesn’t want to go back into a big, silent house- not now. It feels almost foreign to him without General- it’s too cold and too lonely.

 

Standing suddenly, Kylo starts towards his truck. He’s not sure where he’s going, but he doesn’t want to be here right now- he can’t be here right now.

 

*****

 

First street is surprisingly busy at 10 p.m. Kylo parks his truck somewhat close to he and Phasma’s usual coffee place. He slides out of the truck, taking a second to allow his slightly spinning head to still before closing the truck door and starting forward with no destination in mind.

 

He weaves in and out of groups of people. It’s loud- shouting voices, passing cars, and music drifting out of shops fill the street. But the sudden increase in sound and people does little to ease the loneliness that has settled deep within his chest.

 

Each step is more difficult than the last. He’s growing tired and weak, but he can’t stop.

 

Until something catches his eye.

 

His eyes zero in on a man across the street. The man is sporting short, soft, orange hair that looks as if it’s been combed back by slender fingers. He’s tall and thin, but his shoulders are squared, indicating a strong posture. Even from the distance, Kylo can see the sharp, defined angles contrasting against the pale, smooth skin of the man’s face.

 

General.

 

Wait. General?

 

Kylo stumbles forward. He lifts a leg to step down from the sidewalk and onto the road- only to stagger backwards as a car quickly drives by, blocking his vision. Once the car passes, Kylo notes that the man is no longer in sight. He frantically glances around for him- it can’t be General, but the similarities were frightening. He needs to find the man- he needs to know.

 

His breathing is becoming short and choppy as the panic begins to swell within his chest. He pushes through crowds of people, studying each face that passes by. But none appear to be General. There’s a small thought that he’s hallucinating settled within the back of his mind, but it felt so real- the man looked so real. He shoves the thought aside. He doesn’t have time for the realist part of his mind to take charge.

 

Everything around him starts to spin, and he squeezes his eyes closed, stumbling backwards out of a crowd of people while clutching at his pounding head. He’s hoping that he’s moving towards a building wall he can lean on, but his back bumps against someone.

 

“Hey, watc- Kylo?”

 

Phasma?

 

Kylo spins around quickly, which is proving to be a horrible idea because his surroundings start to tilt drastically. Sturdy hands grab his shoulders to keep him from falling.

 

“Fuck! Are you okay? What are you doing here?”

 

He blinks away his blurring vision and eyes the blonde with hesitance. He realizes that he should probably say something because he’s sure that he looks the actual definition of a complete mess. He meets her worried eyes and opens his mouth to reply- only to snap it closed as another person approaches them.

 

“What’s going on, Phas?”

 

General.

 

Standing right before him.

 

It can’t possibly be, and yet… everything is the same- the hair, the face, the voice, the startling green eyes staring at him with growing concern. Kylo struggles to form words as his breath hitches in his throat.

 

“I don’t know! Help him, Hux!”

 

Hux?

 

Then it has to be General.

 

Kylo watches as the man starts to approach him cautiously. His heart is hammering against his chest. This is what he’s been waiting for, and yet, he feels terrified. The nagging, realist voice in the back of his mind is telling him that this is impossible. General is dead.

 

But General is standing before him. Right? General Brendol Hux?

 

“Are you alright?”

 

There’s a soft, warm hand grabbing Kylo’s wrist. Smooth fingers press down lightly, checking his pulse. A second hand is reaching towards his forehead. Kylo can feel everything starting to tilt forward, and he tries to fight it off. He wills his body to stay upright; however, he finds that he’s failing miserably. His vision is going dark. He opens his mouth to try and say something- anything.  

 

“Gen-”

 

Kylo falls forward as everything goes black.

 

*****

 

The sound of a glass clinking softly as it’s set down onto table has Kylo forcing his heavy eyelids open. He thumbs the plush, soft blanket covering him- it’s not his, that’s for sure. He blinks slowly, shifting his tired gaze around until his eyes spot the back of a man standing a few feet away. The man turns after a few moments, and Kylo’s eyes lock onto a pair of bright green ones.

 

Shit.

 

Everything starts to come back in slow waves as the man approaches him.

 

“You’re awake.”

 

That voice.

 

This is impossible.

 

Kylo opens his mouth to reply, but a coughing fit tears its way up his throat instead. He jolts upwards into a sitting position as the coughs wrack his trembling frame. After a few moments, he presses a shaking hand against his chest, panting heavily after the coughing subsides.

 

“Here.”

 

Kylo opens his watering eyes to see a glass of water in front of his face. He takes it- careful not to spill any water despite his trembling hand. The water feels heavenly against his raw throat, and after a few sips, he feels that he may be able to form sentences without coughing up a lung.

 

“Better?”

 

“Who are you,” Kylo questions- voice raspy but audible.

 

“Brendol Hux, but you can just call me Hux. I’m Phasma’s friend.”

 

Impossible, Kylo thinks to himself as the realist part of his mind steps forward. This is downright impossible, and yet, this man is the same as General from the painting. Not only do they share the same name, but they also share the same features.

 

But could he really be General? No, right? That’s not possible, right?

 

Kylo racks his brain for the piece he’s missing. He wants to believe that this man is General, but the realist part of his mind is telling him that there’s no way. However, that thought does nothing to ease the fear and confusion pulsing throughout his body. He continues to mentally dissect every word General has ever said to him. There has to be something.

 

A sudden bulb lights up within Kylo’s mind. “Is that a family name?” He asks after a few silent moments between the two. He has just remembered that General had said that he had a son with a woman, and they had named the son after him.

 

“It is. Why?”

 

Kylo is suddenly given his answer, and he honestly isn’t prepared. This man in front of him must be the great, great, great, whatever grandson of General. However, his resemblance to the painting of General is just downright frightening- all but the eyes are the same. It seems like something that shouldn’t be possible, and yet, he’s staring at the living proof. He has his answer, and now he’s finding it hard to breathe properly.

 

Hux is shooting him a questioning gaze, and Kylo realizes that he needs to say something. He can’t exactly say ‘oh then I knew the ghost of your great, great, great, whatever grandfather!’ He figures that would not go over well.

 

“Just wondering- it’s a weird name.” Kylo finally mutters weakly, and the annoyed huff that follows Kylo’s words tell him that he may actually be a professional at saying the wrongs things at the wrong times.

 

“And your name isn’t? Kylo Ren? That sounds like the name of some emo band member from the 90s.”

 

The sass, Kylo thinks to himself- the sass is the same. Everything about this man all but screams General, and he just doesn’t know how to take it. How is he supposed to take it? He’s not sure Google would know how to reply to ‘so I lost my ghost friend but his grandson, who looks just like him, is standing right in front of me.’

 

Kylo feels scared, but there’s something else. There’s a small, warm feeling spreading within his chest. He’s not sure what it means, but he’s starting to feel a little less lonely. So he’s taking it as an overall good sign.

 

“Touché,” Kylo breathes out through a low laugh. “It’s not my real name, though.”

 

“It’s our first meeting, and you are already telling me your deep, dark secrets?”

 

Rolling his eyes, Kylo lets out a small huff. He had forgotten the strong beginning sass from General before he and General had gotten used to each other. It’s as if he’s reliving his first meeting with General- only in a different scenario.

 

“It’s not much of a secret. I don’t tell people because I’ve never had someone make fun of my name before.”

 

“Really?” Hux askes with raised brows. “That’s surprising to me.”

 

Kylo narrows his eyes and shoots Hux a glare. He has a retort on the tip of his tongue, but he can feel a cough pushing up his throat. He turns his head to the side to cough into the crook of his arm. After, he turns his attention back to Hux, noting how the man’s eyes have softened slightly.

 

“Are you aware that rest is necessary for recovery?”

 

Kylo stares down at his hands sheepishly. Here comes the lecturing. “Yeah.”

 

“You fainted. You fell right into my arms. I had to carry you back to my car while assuring Phasma that you weren’t going to die.”

 

Fuck, Kylo thinks to himself. That’s a hell of a first meeting. “Sorry,” he mutters while silently thanking his longer hair for masking his face.

 

“Just don’t make a habit of it. I…we were worried about you.”

 

Kylo snaps his gaze up, locking his eyes onto Hux’s worried ones. His mind drifts back to a few days ago when he collapsed into General’s arms, and before he knows it, his eyes are welling with tears.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Kylo watches as Hux quickly approaches him and sits down on the edge of the bed, bringing those bright green eyes closer. Kylo swipes his hand across his eyes, sniffling lightly. A part of him wants to tell Hux everything, but he can’t be sure that Hux won’t go running away. And he’s finding that he really doesn’t want that.

 

“Are you in pain?” Hux presses, resting his hand upon Kylo’s covered knee.

 

Kylo shakes his head quickly. “No, sorry. I’m fine. Just really tired.” That’s the best explanation he’s going to give right now.

 

“I’d imagine so. Phasma told me that you are still technically recovering from being pretty ill.”

 

Kylo offers a small nod in reply.

 

“Do you need anything?” Hux questions.

 

Kylo considers the question. “Dinner.” He says suddenly.

 

Hux frowns at him. “I know you are probably starving, but I can’t exactly feed you a full course meal right now.”

 

“No, I mean I want to take you to dinner- when I’m well.” Kylo watches as Hux’s brows furrow at his words.

 

“That’s very forward of you.”

 

Hux isn’t wrong. Kylo is not one to be forward in situations like this, but he’s finding that he really wants to get to know this Hux. He’s starting to think that this is what General meant about finding his true happiness soon. Kylo can’t say for sure if the man sitting in front of him is his true happiness because his heart still aches over the passing of General, but he’s willing to give it a shot. He feels that that’s what General would have wanted.

 

“You’re right. It is forward of me. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked, but-”

 

“Ren, shut up.”

 

Kylo’s mouth snaps closed at Hux’s demanding tone. His thoughts linger on the use of his last name, and just as it was with General, he still finds himself drawn to it.

 

“I didn’t decline.”

 

Kylo’s eyes go wide at Hux’s words. “What?”

 

“I said that I did not decline. I just commented on how you were being forward. I never said no.”

 

“Oh,” Kylo says while silently thanking the sudden coughing fit that is keeping him from having to say more because he’s not really sure what to say. He feels a cool hand cup his cheek as the coughing dies down.

 

“Go to sleep, you insufferable idiot. We can talk about this more when you are well.”

 

There’s a pang in his heart, and Kylo can feel his eyes welling with tears once more. He wants to tell Hux that he knows that he’s insufferable. He’s been told plenty of times.

 

“Hey, everything will be okay.”

 

Kylo smiles despite the tears spilling down his cheeks. He’s not sure if this is what one would call fate. He’s not sure if everything that has happened has been leading up to this one point in his life. But he is sure of one thing.

 

Hux is right.

 

General was right.

 

Everything will be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just for clarification purposes, there is one final chapter after this, and the chapter is an epilogue. I think ao3 is not putting my little chapter number things right or something? I dunno? For me it says 8/9, but it may say something different for you guys. I'm sure that I'm probably doing something wrong, so I'm just going to put here that there is indeed one more chapter!


	9. Epilogue

Kylo eyes Hux wearily as the man studies the painting of General. After dating for five months, Kylo had asked Hux to move in almost as a joke. His jaw had hit the floor when Hux agreed as if it were no big deal. It has been four months since Kylo popped the move in question, and Hux has settled in nicely.

 

Within these four months, Kylo has been trying to find a good time to present the painting to Hux, but he’s been too nervous because he has convinced himself that Hux would go running and never come back. But, he finally caved and decided to present the painting to Hux after Hux made yet another comment on how suspicious it was that he is not allowed into guest bedroom closet- which is where Kylo decided to keep the painting of General.

 

Kylo takes a few cautious steps towards Hux upon noting the man’s stiffened posture. He’s not entirely sure if Hux is breathing, and he places a comforting hand onto the small of Hux’s back. Hux flinches in response, and Kylo frowns, sliding his hand until his arm is wrapped around Hux’s small waist.

 

“Are you okay?” Kylo questions- eyes darting across the side of Hux’s face.

 

“It’s me.”

 

Kylo pulls Hux closer to his body. “No. I assume he’s a great, great, great, whatever grandfather. But the similarities are crazy.”

 

“And this was just in the basement?”

 

Gnawing lightly at his bottom lip, Kylo offers Hux a nod, and Hux pulls away from him in order to bend over the kitchen table to inspect the painting closer.

 

“How long have you known about this painting?”

 

Here comes the fun part, Kylo thinks to himself. He hasn’t fully decided on if he wants to tell Hux that he’s known about this painting for a while. There’s been many times where he has considered telling Hux everything, but there’s something personal about his relationship with General that he feels he does not want to share. “A while,” he finally answers after Hux shoots him a questioning gaze.

 

“The day we met- right before you passed out. You said ‘Gen’. Did you mean General? Were you referring to this painting?”

 

Of course, Kylo thinks to himself. Of course Hux remembers that. The man is frighteningly brilliant- it’s only natural that he remembers that. A part of him wants to tell Hux that he wasn’t referring to the painting as much as he was referring to the ghost of General who had been living with him for a month. But, he’s not going to. “Uh, yeah,” he mutters, looking down at his hands.

 

“You thought I was him?”

 

“Something like that,” Kylo replies to the floor. He does not want to look up right now, but he does as a cool hand cups his chin and pushes it upwards. He locks eyes onto Hux’s.

 

“I can’t say that I blame you. The painting is basically me.”

 

Kylo gives an affirmative hum in response, and after a few moments, Hux pulls away and goes to carefully pick up the painting. “What are you doing?” Kylo asks as Hux starts towards the living room with the painting in his hands.

 

“We should hang it up.”

 

“W-what?” Kylo’s hot on Hux’s heels. He watches as Hux pauses for a moment before placing the painting of General onto the coffee table and moving towards one of their vacation pictures hanging beside the TV. “Hux, are you sure?”

 

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

Kylo grabs the vacation picture that Hux is handing to him. He moves back a few steps as Hux comes forward once more with the painting of General in his hands. “Well, I mean. It’s not weird for you?”

 

“Of course not. This is a historic painting of a family member. I can only assume that this is his house, so the painting deserves to go up.”

 

Kylo sets the vacation painting on top of the coffee table before he moves to stand by Hux, who is adjusting the painting to make sure that it is sitting straight on the wall. He eyes the painting with fondness.

 

“Do you think that those weird occurrences that were happening to you when you first moved in were caused by him?”

 

Kylo raises his brows at Hux’s question.

 

“Phasma told me everything in sickening detail.”

 

Shaking his head, Kylo shifts his gaze back to the painting. “I was basically a zombie from lack of sleep when that stuff happened. I was probably hallucinating or something.” He eyes Hux cautiously, and after a few moments of consideration, Hux seems to buy into his lie. He’s sure that Hux was probably taking a second to consider the medical probability of something like that actually happening.

 

“Remind me to make sure you always get at least eight hours of sleep a night,” Hux comments as he starts back towards the kitchen. “Is chicken alfredo okay for dinner?”

 

“Yes,” Kylo calls over his shoulder. He watches as Hux disappears into the kitchen before starting towards the painting. His hand ghosts over General’s face, moving down to the name at the bottom. He traces the letters lightly with his index finger. His lips curve up into a smile as a quick, cold breeze brushes past him.

 

Something tells him that he’s made the right choice.

 

“Kylo?”

 

Kylo moves back from the painting at the sound of Hux’s voice, and he starts towards the kitchen.

 

Everything turned out okay after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so this is it. So I just want to say that you are all amazing, and you've made this experience so fun! It's scary and quite intimidating typing for a ship that has like 4000+ fanfictions already, but you guys have been fantastic! I've been overwhelmed week by week at the positive response from this, and so I just want to say thank you all for sticking with me on this journey. 
> 
> (Going to casually add right here that I've already updated the first chapter of a new fic with these two dorks called You Say Hockey, I say Huxy! You all should go and check it out! It's quite different from this one, but I hope you all enjoy it anyway!)
> 
> Anyway, you guys rock, and I love you all!

**Author's Note:**

> Long time reader of the Kylux fandom but first time writer!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> (come say hi on [tumblr](http://pearson-specter-litt.tumblr.com/) )


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